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BY THE SAME AUTHOR 



Genius in Sunshine and Shadow, 

One Volume. 12mo. $1.50. 
NOTICES OF THE PBESS. 



BOSTON COURIER: 

"One of those pleasant, chatty, and gossipy volumes that everybody enjoys read- 
ing. In his easy and flowing style he tells most entertainingly the curious vagaries 
of the men of genius whom the world has revered, and many a fact which escaped 
the ordinary reader of biography will here be seized upon and remembered. The 
volume is a most agreeable companion for solitary hours." 

PITTSBURG BULLETIN: 

" Mr. Ballou seems to have a positive genius for seizing upon prominent traits of 
character or events in the lives of his subjects. How many people who have read 
of Cromwell and Hampden know that they were once on the point of setting out for 
America to live before they took part in England's civil war? How many people 
rememher Agassiz's noble answer when offered a large salary to lecture, — ' I cannot 
afford to waste time in making money ' ? " 

BROOKLYN MAGAZINE: 

"Daniel De Foe, Keats, Oliver Cromwell, Hugh Miller, John Bunyan, Benjamin 
Franklin, Elihu Burritt, Benjamin West, and hundreds of others are cited as instances 
to illustrate that genius is independent of circumstances. A galaxy of the names of 
the world's great men is presented to demonstrate the fact that the humblest may 
rise to be the greatest. Mr. Ballou's book is crowded full of interest from cover to 
cover. He shows a wide knowledge of men and events, and his strict regard for 
accuracy gives a permanent value to the book. To place such a book as this in the 
hands of young men is to confer a blessing upon them. It is full of beneficial illus- 
trations and lessons, and many a young man will take new heart after a perusal of its 
pages." 

JOURNAL OP EDUCATION (Boston): 

"The book has much of the fascination of a conversation, chatting leisurely about 
the gossip, history, anecdotes, etc., which the names of hundreds of authors, artists, 
and other celebrities suggest. The index is so complete and accurate as to make this 
marvellous compilation as available as an encyclopaedia." 

SUNDAY BUDGET: 

"A work of exceeding interest and value, for it is a veritable epitome of biography, 
dealing with all the famous characters of literature, science, and art, and presenting 
a wealth of instructive data such as no volume of similar compass has ever contained. 
A more instructive and interesting book has not been brought out the present season, 
and its charm exerts a hold upon the reader that leads him on from page to page." 



THE JOURNALIST (New York): 

"A charming, gossipy volume of literary anecdotes. It is this very gossipy style 
which makes the book an easy one to read; and, while the briefness of some of the 
references frequently piques the reader's curiosity into further investigation, they are 
full enough to furnish much valuable information concerning the masters of art and 
literature. Mr. Ballou displays a broad and thorough knowledge of men of genius in all 
ages, and the comprehensive index makes the volume invaluable as a book of reference, 
while — a rare thing in reference books — it is thoroughly interesting for consecutive 
reading." 

THE WATCHMAN: 

" The book contains, in a condensed form, so large an amount of interesting in- 
formation concerning the personality of authors, artists, and scientists as to cause us 
to wonder how one mind could be sufficiently retentive to produce so comprehensive 
a collection. The book is so easy and flowing in style as to seem more like listening 
to agreeable conversation than the reading of printed pages." 

BOSTON TRAVELLER: 

"One of the most permanently valuable publications of the year. It has one very 
striking and curious element in being a kind of literary phonograph, so to speak, 
with which one can sit down alone in one's room and summon up spirits from the 
vasty deep of the past with far better success than attended Glendower's efforts in 
that line. One returns to Mr. Ballou's book again and again to discover the secret 
of this peculiar quality; but, open the work where he will, the same spell of fascina- 
tion is over it. The wide range of literature in many lands and languages, the fine 
and discriminating insight, and the scholarly culture that were so conspicuous in Mr. 
Ballou's 'Edge-Tools of Speech,' are revealed in the 'Genius in Sunshine and 
Shadow.' It is a book to live with, — a statement that can be predicated of few of 
the latter-day publications." 

SATURDAY EVENING GAZETTE: 

"A large store of delightful literary entertainment. It is written in a graceful, 
fluent, and attractive style, and with an easy liveliness that makes it peculiarly pleas- 
ing in the perusal. We know of no volume in which is presented so vast a fund of 
interesting gossip about the world's great ones in art, literature, and science as is here 
set forth. Every page is abundant in anecdote, of which there is such a copious 
shower that it even overflows into foot-notes. It would be next to impossible to 
describe the work in detail, so extensive is the field it covers and so luxuriant is it in 
illustration. It is enough to state that it will be found fascinating by every reader of 
refined and educated taste, and attractive and edifying by all, not only for what it 
tells, but for the bright, chatty, and spirited manner in which it is told." 

MASSACHUSETTS PLOUGHMAN: 

" One of the most agreeable books. It is a work teeming with delightful informa- 
tion and anecdote gathered from the broad fields of literature and art. The great 
charm of the book is its colloquial and epigrammatic style, conveying a whole volume 
of suggestiveness and facts on every page. Open it where we may, it reads charm- 
ingly, and one is loath to lay it aside until every page has been perused. In saying 
that the book is one of real and permanent value, we pay it a just and merited 
tribute." 



EDGE-TOOLS OE SPEECH. 

By M. M. BALLOU. 

An Encyclopedia of Quotations, the Brightest Sayings of 
the Wise and Famous. Invaluable for Debating Societies, 
Writers, and Public Speakers. A Treasure for Libraries, 
i vol. 8vo. $3.50. 



NOTICES OF THE PRESS. 



CINCINNATI COMMERCIAL: 

" A vast collection of pungent quotations. . . . Mr. Ballou has made this immense 
collection in a liberal spirit. His test has been fitness and excellence. The volume 
will be an addition to the working force of writers, speakers, and readers." 

THE NORTHWESTERN: 

"An almost inexhaustible mine of the choicest thoughts of the best writers of all 
ages and countries, from Confucius down to Garfield and Gladstone, — a potpourri of 
all the spiciest ingredients of literature. There is a vacancy on every student's desk 
and in every library which it alone can fill, and, we believe, soon will fill. The book 
deserves the popularity which it is most certain to gain." 

THE BEACON (Boston): 

"The quotations cover a wondrous multitude of subjects. Indeed, the book is 
like an endless string of pearls, with here and there a ruby, a diamond, or a bit of 
honest glass interjected. Mr. Ballou's taste is thoroughly catholic, his sympathy wide 
as the world, and his judgment good. The friends of quotations will find these ' Edge- 
Tools ' inexhaustible, yet well arranged, and highly convenient for reference. The 
book is a literary treasure, and will surely hold its own for years to come. It deserves 
a place by the side of Mr. Bartlett's 'Familiar Quotations,' — no mean honor for 
any book." 

THE CRITIC: 

" M. M. Ballou's ' Edge-Tools of Speech ' shows a broader culture and a wider 
range of thought and subject. He has classified his quotations alphabetically under 
the head of subjects after the fashion of a glossary (' Ability,' ' Absence,' etc.), and 
has collected the most famous literary or historical sayings bearing on each subject. 
Every side of the subjects finds an application and illustration in one quotation or 
another. Thus the word 'Ability' is made the text of wise utterances from Napo- 
leon I., Dr. Johnson, Wendell Phillips, Longfellow, Maclaren, Gail Hamilton, 
Froude, Beaconsfielcl, Zoroaster, Schopenhauer, La Rochefoucauld, Matthew Wren, 
Gibbon, and Aristotle. It has no rival." 



PHILADELPHIA TIMES: 

"There is a running fire of fine thoughts brilliantly expressed, and hence a splen- 
did fund of entertainment." 

BOSTON JOURNAL: 

" 'Edge-Tools of Speech ' will find its way into thousands of families. It is a 
volume to take up when a few minutes of leisure are found, and it will always be read 
with interest." 

CHURCH PRESS: 

"The work, indeed, is a dictionary or encyclopaedia of wise and learned quota- 
tions; and, beginning with the word 'Ability ' and ending with 'Zeal,' it presents in 
consecutive order the wisest and wittiest sayings of all the best writers of all ages and 
countries upon all subjects in theology, philosophy, poetry, history, science, and every 
other topic that might be useful or entertaining. It is thus a treasury of useful learn- 
ing, and will prove valuable in suggesting thoughts, or in supplying quotations for the 
illustration of ideas, or the embellishment of style." 

BOOK NOTES : 

" It is a large collection of condensed expressions of thought on a great variety of 
subjects, by the most distinguished or profound writers of all ages. It is arranged 
by subjects. Take the word ' novel,' by which we mean a fictitious story. This book 
gathers short, pithy expressions concerning it by Herschel, Goldsmith, Emerson, Sir 
Walter Scott, Thackeray, Dryden, Carlyle, Sala, Beecher, Willmott, Hamerton, 
Fielding, Swift, Macaulay, Sterne, Masson, Balzac, George Curtis, and others. It is 
not within the range of possibility for any reader to have read all these writers. Even 
had he done so, how could he remember just where to turn to these authors to find 
their thoughts, and yet how convenient it is for a writer or a speaker to have quick 
access to them for illustrations. This book for the uses for which it was made is 
invaluable." 

THE COMMONWEALTH: 

" A remarkable compilation of brilliant and wise sayings from more than a thou- 
sand various sources, embracing all the notable authors, classic and modern, who have 
enriched the pages of history and literature. It might be termed a whole library in 
one volume." 

THE WATCHMAN: 

" Highly creditable, as evincing vast literary research and a catholic spirit in the 
selections. Professional men and litterateurs can hardly afford to be without a book 
which is calculated to aid and stimulate the imagination in so direct a manner." 

BOSTON HOME JOURNAL: 

" The volume is not only of great value to students, professional men, and littera- 
teurs, but will be a rich treasury in the intelligent home." 



For sale by all booksellers. Sent, post-paid, on receipt of 
the price, by the publishers, 

TICKNOR & COMPANY, Boston. 



DUE NORTH 



GLIMPSES OF SCANDINAVIA AND RUSSIA 



DUE NORTH 



OR 



GLIMPSES OF SCANDINAVIA AND 
RUSSIA 



BY 



y- 



o-^i 



MATURIN M. BALLOU 

AUTHOR OF "EDGE-TOOLS OF SPEECH," " DUE SOUTH; OR, CUBA, PAST AND 
PRESENT," " GENIUS IN SUNSHINE AND SHADOW," ETC. 



Only that travelling is good which reveals to me the value of home, and 
enables me to enjoy it better. — Thoreau. 



OS/ j 

0/ 



V 



1 





BOSTON 
TICKNOR AND COMPANY 

1887 



ft 



/ 



Copyright, 1887, 
By Maturin M. Ballou. 



All rights reserved. 



THE LIBHAEY 
OF C ONGR E8S| 

WASHINGTON 



SSntbersftg $regg : 
John Wilson and Son, Cambridge. 



PREFACE. 



About five years ago, the Author, having then 
just returned from circumnavigating the globe, was 
induced to record his experiences of the long journey, 
which were published in a volume entitled "Due 
West ; or, Round the World in Ten Months." The 
public favor accorded to this work led, a couple of 
years later, to the issuing of a second volume of 
travels, upon the Author's return from the West Indies, 
entitled "Due South; or, Cuba, Past and Present." 
The popular success of both books and the flattering 
comments of the critics have caused the undersigned 
to believe that a certain portion of the public is 
pleased to see foreign lands and people through his 
eyes ; and hence the publication of the volume now in 
hand. These pages describing the far North, from 
which the Author has just returned, — including 
Norway, Sweden, Russia, and Russian Poland, — seem 
naturally to suggest the title of " Due North." With- 



vi PREFACE. 

out permitting prejudice to circumscribe judgment in 
treating of Russia, the effort has been to represent 
the condition of that country and its Polish province 
truthfully, and to draw only reasonable deductions. 
This special reference is made to the pages relating 
to the Tzar's government, as it will be found that the 
Author does not accord with the popularly expressed 
opinion upon this subject. 

M. M. B. 

Boston, March, 1887. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 



Page 



Copenhagen. — First Stroll in a Strange City. — Danish Children. 

— Antiquity of Copenhagen. — English Arrogance. — The 
Baltic Sea. — Danish Possessions. — Descendants of the 
Vikings. — Covetous Germany. — The Denmark of To-day. — 
Thorwaldsen's Remarkable Museum. — The Ethnological 
Museum. — Educational Matters. — Eminent Natives. — Char- 
itable Institutions. — ■ Antique Churches. — Royal Palaces. — 
Historical Memories. — City Architecture. — Zoological Gar- 
dens 1-23 

CHAPTER II. 

Public Amusements in Copenhagen. — Danish Sovereigns. — The 
Fashionable Promenade. — Danish Women. — Palace of Rosen- 
borg. — A Golconda of Gems. — A Poet's Monument. — A 
Famous Astronomer. — Our Lady's Church. — The King's 
Square. — The Curious Old Round Tower. — The Peasantry. 

— A Famous Deer Park. — Roskilde. — Elsinore. — Gypsies. — 
Kronborg Castle. — The Queen's Prison. — Hamlet and Ophe- 
lia's Grave. — A Danish Legend 24-40 

CHAPTER III. 

Gottenburg. — Ruins of Elfsborg. — Gustavus Adolphus. — A 
Wrecked Monument. — The Girdle-Duellists. — Emigration to 
America. — Public and Private Gardens. — A Kindly People. 

— The Gbtha Canal. — Falls of Trollhatta. — Dainty Wild- 
Flowers. — Water- Ways. — Stockholm and Lake Maelaren. — 
Prehistoric Tokens. — Iron Mines of Sweden. — Pleasing Epi- 
sode with Children. — The Liquor Traffic Systematized. — A 
Great Practical Charity. — A Domestic Habit 41-56 



viii CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER IV. 

Page 

Capital of Norway. — A Grand Fjord. — A Free and Independent 
State. — The Legal Code. — Royal Palace and Gardens. — 
Oscar's Hall. — The University. — Public Amusements. — 
The Ice Trade. — Ancient Viking Ships. — Heathen Tombs. 

— An Interesting Hostelry. — A Steam Kitchen. — Environs of 
Christiania. — Horses and their Treatment. — Harvest Time. 

— Women's Work. — The Salter. — A Remarkable Lake. — 
Wild Birds. — Inland Travel. — Scandinavian Wild Flowers. — 
Lonely Habitations. — A Land of Alpine Heights . . . 57-85 

CHAPTER V. 

Ancient Capital of Norway. — Routes of Travel. — Rain ! — 
Peasant Costumes. — Commerce of Bergen. — Shark's vs. Cod 
Liver Oil. — Ship-Building. — Public Edifices. — Quaint 
Shops. — Borgund Church. — Leprosy in Norway. — Sport- 
ing Country. — Inland Experiences. — Hay-Making. — Pine- 
Forest Experiences. — National Constitution. — People's 
Schools. — Girls' Industrial School. — Celebrated Citizens of 
Bergen. — Two Grand Norwegian Fjords. — Remarkable 
Glaciers 86-101 

CHAPTER VI. 

Ancient and Modern Trondhjem. — Runic Inscriptions. — A 
Famous Old Cathedral. — Local Characteristics. — Romantic 
Story of King Olaf. — Curious Local Productions. — An Island 
Prison. — Lafoss Falls. — Corn Magazines. — Land-owners. — 
Wood-cutters. — Forests. — A Tumble Overboard. — A Gen- 
uine Cockney. — Comparative Length of Days. — Character- 
istics of Boreal Regions. — Arctic Winter Fisheries. — The 
Ancient Town of Lund ; the Oxford of Sweden. — Pagan 
Times 102-115 

CHAPTER VII. 

Along the Coast of Norway. — Education at the Far North. — 
An Interesting Character. —A Botanical Enthusiast. — Re- 
markable Mountain Tunnel. — A Hard Climb. — The Seven 



CONTENTS. ix 

Page 

Sisters. — Young England. — An Amateur Photographer. — 
Horseman's Island. — Ancient Town of Bodbe. — Arctic 
Flowers. — The Famous Maelstrom. — Illusions ! — The Won- 
derful Lofodeu Islands. — Grand and Unique Scenery. — Gla- 
ciers. — Nature's Architecture. — Mysterious Effects. — At- 
traction for Artists 116-135 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Birds of the Arctic Regions. — Effect of Continuous Daylight. — 
Town of Tromsoe. — The Aurora Borealis. — Love of Flowers. 

— The Growth of Trees. — Butterflies. — Home Flowers. — 
Trees. — Shooting Whales with Cannon. — Prehistoric Relics. 

— About Laplanders. — Eider Ducks. — A Norsk Wedding 
Present. -— Gypsies of the North. — Pagan Bites. — The Use 
of the Reindeer. — Domestic Life of the Lapps. — Marriage 
Ceremony. — A Gypsy Queen. — Lapp Babies. — Graceful 
Acknowledgment 136-155 

CHAPTER IX. 

Experiences Sailing Northward. — Arctic Whaling. — The Feath- 
ered Tribe. — Caught in a Trap. — Domestic Animals. — The 
Marvellous Gulf Stream. — Town of Hammerfest. — Com- 
merce. — Arctic Mosquitoes. — The Public Crier. — Norwegian 
Marriages. — Peculiar Bird Habits. — A Hint to Naturalists. 

— Bird Island. — A Lonely Habitation. — High Latitude. — 
Final Landing at the North Cape. — A Hard Climb. — View 

of the W r onderful Midnight Sun 156-168 

CHAPTER X. 

Journey Across Country. — Capital of Sweden. — Old and New. 

— Swedish History. — Local Attractions. — King Oscar II. — 
The Royal Palace. — The Westminster Abbey of Stockholm. 

— A Splendid Deer Park. — Public Amusements. — The Sab- 
bath. — An Official Dude. — An Awkward Statue. — Swedish 
Nightingales. — Linnaeus and Swedenborg. — Dalecarlia Girls. 

— A Remarkable Group in Bronze. — Rosedale Royal Cottage. 

— Ancient Oaks. — Upsala and its Surroundings. — Ancient 
Mounds at old Upsala. — Swedenborg's Study .... 169-192 



x CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XL 

Page 
The Northern Mediterranean. — Depth of the Sea. — Where 
Amber comes From. — A Thousand Isles. — City of Abo. — 
Departed Glory. — Capital of Finland. — Local Scenes. — 
Russian Government. — Finland's Dependency. — Billings- 
gate. — A Woman Sailor in an Exigency. — Fortress of Swea- 
borg. — Fortifications of Cronstadt. — Russia's Great Naval 
Station. — The Emperor's Steam Yacht. — A Sail up the Neva. 

— St. Petersburg in the Distance. — First Russian Dinner 193-205 

CHAPTER XII. 

St. Petersburg. — Churches. — The Alexander Column. — Prin- 
cipal Street. — Cathedral of Peter and Paul. — Nevsky Mon- 
astery. — Russian Priesthood. — The Canals. — Public Li- 
brary. — Cruelty of an Empress. — Religious Devotion of the 
People. — A Dangerous Locality. — Population. — The Neva 
and Lake Ladoga. — The Nicholas Bridge. — Winter Season. 

— Begging Nuns. — Nihilism. — Scandal Touching the Em- 
peror. — The Fashionable Drive. — St. Isaac's Church. — Rus- 
sian Bells. — Famous Equestrian Statue. — The Admiralty. — 
Architecture 206-240 

CHAPTER XIII. 

The Winter Palace. — The Hermitage and its Riches. — An Em- 
press and her Fancies. — A Royal Retreat. — Russian Culture. 

— Public Library. — The Summer Garden. — Temperature of 
the City. — Choosing of the Brides. — Peter's Cottage. — 
Champ de Mars. . — Academy of Fine Arts. — School of Mines. 

— Precious Stones. — The Imperial Home at Peterhoff. — 
Curious and Interesting Buildings. — Catherine's Oak. — Alex- 
ander III. at Parade. — Description of the Royal Family. — 
Horse-Racing. — The Empress's Companions .... 241-264 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Power of the Greek Church. — Freeing the Serfs. — Education 
Needed. — Mammoth Russia. — Religion and Superstition. 

— Memorial Structures. — Church Fasts. — Theatres and 



CONTENTS. XI 

Page 

Public Amusements. — Night Revels. — A Russian Bazaar. — 
Children's Nurses in Costume. — The one Vehicle of Russia. 

— Dress of the People. — Fire Brigade. — Red Tape. — 
Personal Surveillance. — Passports. — Annoyances. — Spying 
Upon Strangers. — The Author's Experience. — Censorship of 

the Press 265-279 

CHAPTER XV. 

On the Road to Moscow. — Russian Peasantry. — Military Sta- 
tion Masters. — Peat Fuel for the War-Ships. — Farm Prod- 
ucts. — Scenery. — Wild-Flowers. — City of Tver. — Inland 
Navigation. — The Great River Volga. — The Ancient Musco- 
vite Capital. — Spires and Minarets. — A Russian Mecca. — 
Pictorial Signs. — The Kremlin. — The Royal Palace. — King 
of Bells. — Cathedral of St. Basil. —The Royal Treasury.— 
Church of Our Saviour. — Chinese City. — Rag Fair. — Manu- 
factures .... 280-305 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Domestic Life in Moscow. — Oriental Seclusion of Women. — 
The Foundling Hospital. — A Christian Charity. — A Me- 
tropolitan Centre. — City Museum. — The University. — 
Tea-Drinking. — Pleasure Gardens. — Drosky Drivers. — Riding- 
School. — Theatres. — Universal Bribery. — Love of Country. 

— Russians as Linguists. — Sparrow Hill. — Petrofski Park. 

— Muscovite Gypsies. — Fast Life. — Intemperance. — A 
Famous Monastery. — City Highways. — Sacred Pigeons. — 
Beggars 306-332 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Nijni-Novgorod. — Hot Weather. — The River Volga. — Hun- 
dreds of Steamers. — Great Annual Fair. — Peculiar Character 
of the Trade. — Motley Collection of Humanity. — An Army 
of Beggars. — Rare and Precious Stones. — The Famous Brick 
Tea. — A Costly Beverage. — Sanitary Measures. — Disgrace- 
ful Dance Halls. — Fatal Beauty. — A Sad History. — Light- 
Fingered Gentry. — Convicts. — Facts about Siberia. — Local 
Customs. — Russian Punishment 333-352 



xn CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Page 
On the Road to Poland. — Extensive Grain-Fields. — Polish Peas- 
antry. — A Russian General. — No evidence of Oppression. — 
Warsaw and its Surroundings. — Mingled Squalor and Ele- 
gance. — Monuments of the City. — Polish Nobility. — Cir- 
cassian Troops. — Polish Language. — The Jews of Warsaw. 
— Political Condition of Poland. — Public Parks. — The Fa- 
mous Saxony Gardens. — Present Commercial Prosperity. — 
Local Sentiment. — Concerning Polish Ladies and Jewish 
Beauties . . . . , 353-373 



DUE NORTH; 



GLIMPSES OF SCANDINAVIA AND RUSSIA. 



CHAPTER I. 

Copenhagen. — First Stroll in a Strange City. — Danish Children. — 
Antiquity of Copenhagen. — English Arrogance. — The Baltic 
Sea. — Danish Possessions. — Descendants of the Vikings. — Cove- 
tous Germany. — The Denmark of To-day. — Thorwaldsen's Re- 
markable Museum. — The Ethnological Museum. — Educational 
Matters. — Eminent Natives. — Charitable Institutions. — Antique 
Churches. — Royal Palaces. — Historical Memories. — City Archi- 
tecture. — Zoological Gardens. 

Haying resolved upon a journey due north, twenty 
days of travel over familiar routes carried the author 
across the Atlantic and, by the way of Liverpool, Lon- 
don, Paris, and Hamburg, landed him in Copenhagen, 
the pleasant and thrifty capital of Denmark. As the 
following pages will be devoted to Scandinavia, Rus- 
sia, and Russian Poland, this metropolis seems to be 
a proper locality at which to begin the northern 
journey with the reader. 

It was already nearly midnight when the H6tel 
D'Angleterre, fronting upon the Kongens Nytorv, 
was reached. So long a period of uninterrupted 

1 



2 DUE NORTH. 

travel, night and day, rendered a few hours of quiet 
sleep something to be gratefully appreciated. Early 
the next morning the consciousness of being in a 
strange city, always so stimulating to the observant 
traveller, sent us forth with curious eyes upon the 
thoroughfares of the Danish capital before the aver- 
age citizen was awake. The importunities of couri- 
ers and local guides, who are always on the watch 
for visitors, were at first sedulously ignored ; for 
it would be foolish to rob one's self of the great 
pleasure of a preliminary stroll alone amid scenes and 
localities of which one is blissfully ignorant. A cice- 
rone will come into the programme later on, and is a 
prime necessity at the proper time ; but at the outset 
there is a keen gratification and novelty in verifying 
or contradicting preconceived ideas, by threading un- 
attended a labyrinth of mysterious streets and blind 
alleys, leading one knows not where, and suddenly 
coming out upon some broad square or boulevard full 
of unexpected palaces and grand public monuments. 

It was thus that we wandered into the old Market 
Square where Die trick Slagheck, Archbishop of Lund 
and minister of Christian II., was burned alive. A 
slight stretch of the imagination made the place still 
to smell of roasted bishop. " Is this also the land of 
wooden shoes ? " we asked ourself, as the rapid clatter 
of human feet upon the pavements recalled the famil- 
iar street-echoes of Antwerp. How eagerly the eye 
receives and retains each new impression under such 
circumstances ! How sharp it is to search out peculi- 



COPENHAGEN. 3 

arities of dress, manners, architecture, modes of con- 
veyance, the attractive display of merchandise in shop- 
windows, and even the expression upon the faces of 
men, women, and children ! Children ! if any one says 
the Danish children are not pretty, you may with 
safety contradict him. Their delicately rounded, fresh 
young faces are lit up by such bright, turquoise-colored, 
forget-me-not blue eyes as appeal to the heart at once. 
What a wholesome appetite followed upon this pioneer 
excursion, when we entered at breakfast on a new 
series of observations while satisfying the vigorous 
calls of hunger, each course proving a novelty, and 
every dish a fresh voyage of gastronomic discovery ! 

Copenhagen was a large commercial port many 
centuries ago, and has several times been partially 
destroyed by war and conflagration. It has some two 
hundred and fifty thousand inhabitants, and is about 
six miles in circumference. The site of the city is so 
low as to render it necessary to protect it from the 
waters of the Baltic by artificial embankments. Like 
Amsterdam and Venice, it may be said to possess 
" remarkable water-privileges." We were told that 
the citizens were making earnest remonstrance as to 
the inefficient drainage of the city, which is believed 
to be the prime cause of a somewhat extraordinary 
percentage of mortality. In past times it has more 
than once been visited by the plague, which so late 
as 1711 caused the death of over twenty-eight thou- 
sand of its inhabitants. It is only some thirty years 
since, that over five thousand persons died here of 



4 DUE NORTH. 

cholera in one season. Fevers of a typhoid character 
prevail annually, which are no doubt with good rea- 
son attributed to want of proper drainage. Notwith- 
standing Copenhagen is situated so nearly at tide 
level, modern engineering could easily perfect a sys- 
tem of drainage which would render it independent 
of this circumstance. The safe and spacious harbor is 
formed by the channel between the islands of Zeeland 
and Amager, where there is ample depth and room to 
answer the demands of a far more extended commerce 
than the city is ever likely to maintain. The houses 
are mostly of brick, some of the better class being 
built of Norwegian granite, while the newer portion 
of the town presents many examples of fine modern 
architecture. The streets are of good width and laid 
out with an eye to regularity, besides which there are 
sixteen spacious public squares. Taken as a whole, 
the first impression of the place and its surroundings 
is remarkably pleasing and attractive. As one ap- 
proaches the city, the scene is enlivened by the many 
windmills in the environs, whose wide-spread arms are 
generally in motion, appearing like the broad wings 
of enormous birds hovering over the land and just 
preparing to alight. One is hardly surprised that Don 
Quixote should mistake them for palpable enemies, 
and charge upon them full tilt. Perhaps the earliest 
associations in its modern history which the stranger 
is likely to remember, as he looks about him in Copen- 
hagen, is that of the dastardly attack upon the city, 
and the shelling of it for three consecutive days, by 



ICE-BOUND PORTS OF THE BALTIC. 5 

the British fleet in 1807, during which uncalled for 
and reckless onslaught an immense destruction of 
human life and property was inflicted upon the place. 
Over three hundred important buildings were laid in 
ashes on that occasion, because Denmark refused per- 
mission for the domiciling of English troops upon her 
soil, and declined, as she had a most unquestionable 
right to do, to withdraw her connection with the neu- 
tral powers. It was one of the most outrageous ex- 
amples of English arrogance on record, — one which 
even her own historians feel compelled to denounce 
emphatically. No wonder the gallant Nelson ex- 
pressed his deep regret at being sent to the Baltic on 
such distasteful service. Copenhagen received the ex- 
pressive name it bears (Merchant's Haven) on account 
of its excellent harbor and general commercial advan- 
tages. As in the Mediterranean so in the Baltic, tidal 
influence is felt only to a small degree, the difference 
in the rise and fall of the water at this point being 
scarcely more than one foot. It should be remembered, 
however, that the level of the waters of the Baltic are 
subject, like those of the Swiss lakes, to barometric 
variations. Owing to the comparatively fresh charac- 
ter of this sea, its ports are ice-bound for a third of 
each year, and in extreme seasons the whole expanse is 
frozen across from the Denmark to the Swedish coast. 
In 1658, Charles X. of Sweden marched his army 
across the Belts, dictating to the Danes a treaty of 
peace ; and so late as 1809, a Russian army passed 
from Finland to Sweden across the Gulf of Bothnia. 



b DUE NORTH. 

The possessions of Denmark upon the main-land 
are in our day quite circumscribed, consisting of Jut- 
land only ; but she has besides several islands far 
and near, of which Zeeland is the most populous, and 
contains the capital. As a State, she may be said to 
occupy a much larger space in history than upon the 
map of Europe. The surface of the island of Zeeland 
is uniformly low, in this respect resembling Holland, 
the highest point reaching an elevation of but five 
hundred and fifty feet. To be precise in the matter 
of her dominions, the colonial possessions of Denmark 
may be thus enumerated: Greenland, Iceland, the 
Faroe group of islands, between the Shetlands and 
Iceland ; adding St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John 
in the West Indies. Greenland is nearly as large as 
Germany and France combined; but its inhabitants 
do not quite reach an aggregate of ten thousand. 
Iceland is about the size of our New England States, 
and has a population of seventy-five thousand. The 
Faroes contain ten thousand inhabitants, and the 
three West Indian islands united have a population 
of a little over forty thousand. 

A slight sense of disappointment was realized at 
not finding more visible evidences of antiquity while 
visiting the several sections of the capital, partic- 
ularly as it was remembered that a short time since, 
in 1880, the Danish monarchy reached the thousandth 
anniversary of its foundation under Gorm the Old, 
whose reign bridges over the interval between mere 
legend and the dawn of recorded history. Gorm is 



DANISH CHARACTERISTICS. 7 

supposed to have been a direct descendant of the 
famous Viking, Regnar Lodbrog, who was a daring 
and imperious ruler of the early Northmen. The com- 
mon origin of the three Baltic nationalities which 
constitute Scandinavia is clearly apparent to the 
traveller who has visited Denmark, Sweden, and Nor- 
way, or to any one who has even an ordinary knowl- 
edge of their history. The race has been steadily 
modified, generation after generation, in its more 
vivid characteristics, by the progressive force of civ- 
ilization. These Northmen are no longer the haughty 
and reckless warriors who revelled in wine drunk 
from the skulls of their enemies, and who deemed 
death only respectable when encountered upon the 
battle-field. Clearer intelligence and culture have 
substituted the duties of peaceful citizens for those of 
marauders, and the enterprises of civilized life for the 
exaggerated romance of chivalry. Reading and writ- 
ing, which were looked upon among them as allied to 
the black art a few centuries ago, are now the uni- 
versal accomplishment of all classes, and nowhere 
on the globe will the traveller find a people more 
cheerful, intelligent, frank, and hospitable than in 
the three kingdoms of the far North. 

Though the Danes are physically rather small, 
resembling in this respect the Japanese, still they 
spring, as we have seen, from a brave and warlike 
race, and have never been subjugated by any other 
people. On the contrary, in the olden time they con- 
quered England, dismembered France, and subjugated 



8 DUE NORTH, 

Norway and Sweden. The time has been when the 
Danes boasted the largest and most efficient navy in 
the world, and their realm still justly bears the title 
of " Queen of the Baltic." As to seamanship, they 
are universally acknowledged to be among the best 
sailors who navigate the ocean. That Germany 
covets Denmark is more than hinted at. The author 
heard a loud-talking naval gentleman, of German 
nationality, coolly express the opinion that Denmark 
as an independent kingdom had nearly reached the 
close of its existence. This was on board the German 
mail-steamer, while crossing a branch of the Baltic 
between the ports of Kiel and Korsoer. Whether 
this individual reflected the ambitious purposes of the 
present German government, or only echoed a popu- 
lar sentiment of his nation, the reader is left to judge. 
Were Bismarck to attempt, upon any subterfuge, to 
absorb Denmark, it is reasonable to suppose that 
other European powers would have something to say 
upon the subject ; but that the map of Europe, as now 
constructed, is destined to undergo radical changes in 
the near future cannot be doubted. 

The Denmark of to-day, typified by Copenhagen its 
capital, is a great centre of science and of art, quite as 
much so as are Munich or Dresden. It is surprising 
that so few travellers, comparatively, resort thither. 
For the study of ethnological subjects, there is no 
country which affords greater facilities, or which is 
more interesting to scientists generally. The spirit 
of Thorwaldsen here permeates everything; and in 



THORWALDSEN'S MUSEUM. 9 

making his native city his heir, he also bequeathed 
to her an appreciation of art, which her eminent 
scientists have ably supplemented in their several 
departments of knowledge. To visit the unique 
Thorwaldsen Museum alone would repay a journey 
to Copenhagen, and no visitor to this Venice of the 
North should fail thoroughly to explore its riches. It 
is in the very centre of the city, situated close to the 
Palace of Christiansborg, and was erected in 1845 
from the great sculptor's own design, based on the 
Egyptian order of architecture. It is two stories in 
height, and quadrangular in form, — the lower story 
containing sculpture only ; the upper, both statuary 
and pictures. The external aspect of the structure 
is certainly not pleasing, but within, " where the mar- 
ble statues breathe in rows," may be seen collected 
together and appropriately arranged six hundred of 
the great master's works, exhibiting the splendid and 
it is believed, as regards this department of art, un- 
equalled result of one man's genius and industry. 
With galleries and vestibules the Museum contains 
over forty apartments, ample space being afforded for 
the best display of each figure and each group. The 
ceilings are elaborately and very beautifully decorated 
with emblematical designs by the best Danish artists. 
This enduring monument to art is also Thorwaldsen's 
appropriate mausoleum, being fashioned externally 
after an Etruscan tomb, and decorated in fresco with 
scenes illustrative of the sculptor's life. These crude 
and unprotected frescos, however, have become quite 



10 DUE NORTH. 

dim, and are being gradually effaced by exposure to 
the elements. So far as any artistic effect is con- 
cerned, we are honestly forced to say that the sooner 
they disappear the better. The interior of the Museum 
is peculiar in its combined effect, — a little depressing, 
we thought, being painted and finished in the som- 
bre Pompeian style. It contains only Thorwaldsen's 
works and a few pictures which he brought with 
him when he removed hither from Rome, where so 
many years of his artistic life were passed. We have 
here presented to us the busts, models, sketches, and 
forms in clay, plaster, or marble, which represent 
all his works. Thorwaldsen's favorite motto was: 
" The artist belongs to his work, not the work to the 
artist," — a conscientious devotion which seems to 
invest everything which came from his hand. His 
body lies buried in the centre of the open court 
about which the building is constructed, without any 
designating stone, the ground being slightly raised 
above the surrounding pavement, and appropriately 
covered with a bed of growing ivy. A sense of still- 
ness and solemnity seems to permeate the atmo- 
sphere as one pauses beside this lowly but expressive 
mound. 

Among the portrait-statues which linger in the 
memory are many historic and familiar characters, 
such as Copernicus, Byron, Goethe, Hans Andersen, 
Humboldt, Schiller, Horace Vernet, Christian IV., 
the favorite monarch of the Danes, and many more. 
We have said that the general effect of these artistic 



THORWALDSEN'S SCULPTURES. 11 

halls was a little depressing; still, this was not the 
influence of the great sculptor's creations, for they 
are full of the joyous, elevating, and noble charac- 
teristics of humanity. Thorwaldsen revelled in the 
representation of tenderness, of youth, beauty, and 
childhood. Nothing of the repulsive or terrible ever 
came from his hand. The sculptor's regal fancy 
found expression most fully, perhaps, in the relievi 
which are gathered here, illustrating the delightful 
legends of the Greek mythology. He gives us here 
in exquisite marble his original conceptions of what 
others have depicted with the pen and the brush. No 
one can wonder at the universal homage accorded 
by his countrymen to the memory of the greatest of 
modern sculptors. The bust of Luther is seen in 
the main hall in an unfinished condition, just as the, 
sculptor left it, and upon which, indeed, he is said to 
have worked the day before his death. It depicts a 
rude, coarse face, but one full of energy and power. 
In the Hall of Christ, as it is called, is the celebrated 
group of our Lord and the Twelve Disciples, the 
original of which is in the Cathedral. The impressive 
effect of this remarkable group is universally con- 
ceded ; no one can stand before it unaffected by its 
grand and solemn beauty. Thorwaldsen's household 
furniture, writing-desk, books, pictures, and relics are 
here disposed as they were found in his home on the 
day of his death, — among which a clock, made by 
him when he was but twelve years of age, will interest 
the visitor. 



12 DUE NORTH. 

A large proportion of the many persons whom we 
met in the Museum were Danes, whose respectability 
and admirable behavior impressed us most favor- 
ably, — a conviction which was daily corroborated 
upon the public streets, where there was none of the 
grossness observable which is so glaring among the 
middle and lower classes of more southern cities. 
There are no mendicants upon the thoroughfares ; 
order and cleanliness reign everywhere, reminding 
one of Holland and the Hague. The young trees 
and delicate flowers in the public gardens require no 
special protection, and one looks in vain for anything 
like rowdyism in the crowded thoroughfares. Though 
the Danes are free consumers of malt liquors, not a 
case of intoxication met the author's eye while he 
remained in Copenhagen. 

The Ethnological Museum of the city, better known 
as the Museum of Northern Antiquities, is generally 
considered to be the most remarkable institution of its 
class in Europe. Students in this department of 
science come from all parts of the civilized world to 
seek knowledge from its countless treasures. One is 
here enabled to follow the progress of our race from 
its primitive stages to its highest civilization. The 
national government liberally aids all purposes akin to 
science and art ; consequently this Museum is a fa- 
vored object of the State, being also liberally endowed 
by private munificence. Each of the three distinctive 
periods of Stone, Bronze, and Iron forms an elabo- 
rate division in the spacious halls of the institution. 



MUSEUM OF NORTHERN ANTIQUITIES. 13 

In classifying the objects, care has been taken not 
only to divide the three great periods named, but also 
in each of these divisions those belonging to the be- 
ginning and the end of the period are chronologi- 
cally placed, as fast as such nice distinctions can be 
wrought out by careful, scientific study and comparison. 
Here the visitor gazes with absorbing interest upon the 
tangible evidences of a race that inhabited this earth 
probably thousands of years before it was broken 
into islands and continents. Their one token, these 
rude, but expressive stone implements, are found 
equally distributed from the Arctic Circle to the 
Equator, from Canada to Brazil, from England to 
Japan. Scientists whose culture and intelligence en- 
title their opinion to respect, place the Stone Age as 
here illustrated at least twenty thousand years before 
the birth of Christ. How absorbing is the interest 
attaching to these relics which ages have consecrated ! 
No matter what our preconceived notions may be, 
science only deals with irrefutable facts. The periods 
delineated may be thus expressed : first the Flint pe- 
riod, which comes down to fifteen hundred years be- 
fore Christ ; followed by the Bronze, which includes 
the next twelve or thirteen hundred years ; then the 
Iron, which comes down far into the Christian era. 
What is termed the Mediaeval brings us to 1536, since 
which time there is no occasion for classification. No 
wonder the antiquarian becomes so absorbed in the 
study of the past. " The earliest and the longest has 
still the mastery over us," says George Eliot. Progress 



14 DUE NORTH. 

is daily making in the correct reading of these compre- 
hensive data, and those who may come after us will 
be born to a great wealth of antiquity. Other coun- 
tries may learn much from the admirable management 
of this Museum in the matter of improving the educa- 
tional advantages which it affords. Professors of emi- 
nence daily accompany the groups of visitors, clearly 
explaining the purport and the historical relations of 
the many interesting objects. These persons are not 
merely intelligent employees, but they are also trained 
scientists ; and, above all, they are enthusiastic in freely 
imparting the knowledge which inspires them. Such 
impromptu lectures are both original and impressive. 
Indeed, to go through the Ethnological Museum of 
Copenhagen understandingly is a liberal education. 
It should be added that the zeal and affability of these 
able officials is as freely and cheerfully extended to 
the humblest citizen as to distinguished strangers. 
One returns again and again with a sort of fascination 
to these indisputable evidences of history relating to 
periods of which there is no written record. If they are 
partially defective in their consecutive teachings, they 
are most impressive in the actual knowledge which 
they convey. Without giving us a list of sovereigns or 
positive dates, they afford collectively a clearer knowl- 
edge of the religion, culture, and domestic life of the 
people of their several periods than a Gibbon or a 
Bancroft could depict with their glowing pages. 

The Danes are a cultured people, much more so, 
indeed, than the average classes of the continental 



EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES IN DENMARK. 15 

States. The large number of book-stores was a no- 
ticeable feature of the capital, as well as the excellent 
character of the books which were offered for sale. 
These were in German, French, and English, the liter- 
ature of the latter being especially well represented. 
Copenhagen has more daily and weekly newspapers, 
magazines, and current news publications than Edin- 
burgh or Dublin, or most of the provincial cities of 
Great Britain. It may be doubted if even in this 
country, outside of New England, we have many dis- 
tricts more liberally supplied with free library accom- 
modations, or with educational facilities for youth, 
than are the populous portions of Zeeland and Jut- 
land. Even small country villages have their book- 
clubs and dramatic clubs. A very general taste for 
the drama prevails. Indeed, Denmark has a national 
drama of its own, which exercises a notable influence 
upon its people. This Government was the first in 
Europe to furnish the means of education to the people 
at large on a liberal scale, to establish schoolhouses in 
every parish, and to provide suitable dwellings and in- 
comes for the teachers. The incipient steps towards 
this object began as far back as the time of Christian 
II., more than three centuries ago, while most of the 
European States were grovelling in ignorance. Copen- 
hagen has two public libraries, — the Royal, contain- 
ing over six hundred thousand books ; and the Uni- 
versity, which has between two hundred and fifty and 
three hundred thousand volumes, not to speak in de- 
tail of a particularly choice collection of manuscripts. 



16 DUE NORTH. 

These under reasonable restrictions are free to all, 
citizen or foreigner. The National University is of 
the first class, and supports a well organized lecture- 
system, like that of the Sorbonne in Paris, and which 
is also free to all, women having the same facilities 
afforded them as those enjoyed by the sterner sex. 
This institution, we were assured, is conducted upon 
the most modern educational system. It was founded 
in 1478, and at the present writing has between twelve 
and fifteen hundred students, instructed by about fifty 
able professors. 

Though Denmark is a small kingdom, containing 
scarcely three millions of people, yet it has produced 
many eminent men of science, of art, and of literature. 
The names of Hans Christian Andersen, of Rasmus 
Rask the philologist, of Oersted the discoverer of 
electro-magnetism, of Forchhammer the mineralogist, 
and Eschricht the physiologist, will occur to the 
reader's mind in this connection. It is a country of 
legend and romance, of historic and prehistoric monu- 
ments, besides being the very father-land of fairy 
tales. The Vikings of old have left their footprints 
all over the country in barrows and tumuli. It is not, ' 
therefore, surprising that the cultured portion of the 
community are stimulated to antiquarian research. 
The masses are clearly a pleasure-loving people, easily 
amused and contented, troubling themselves very lit- 
tle about religious matters ; the arts, poetry, and the 
drama being much more reverenced than the church. 
The accepted and almost universal doctrine is that of 



CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. 17 

Lutheranism. One meets comparatively few intelli- 
gent persons who cannot speak English, while many 
speak French and German also. The Danish lan- 
guage is a modified form of the old Gothic, which 
prevailed in the earliest historic ages. 

Copenhagen is liberally supplied with free hospitals 
and charitable institutions, but except the Communal 
Hospital, the buildings devoted to these purposes have 
no architectural merit. A child's home was pointed 
out to us designed for the children of the poor, whose 
parents are unable to take care of them during their 
working hours. Before going out to a day's labor, a 
mother can place her child in this temporary home, 
where it will be properly cared for and fed until she re- 
turns for it. " Is any charge made for this service ? " 
we asked. " Certainly," replied, our informant, him- 
self an official of importance ; and he named a sum 
equal to about five cents of our money as the price per 
day for the care of each infant. " If it were entirely 
gratuitous," he added, " it would not be nearly so well 
appreciated, and would lead to imposition. The pay- 
ment of this trifling sum enhances the estimate of the 
privilege far beyond its _cost." The institution could 
not be sustained by such limited charges however ; its 
real support is by the local government. Another in- 
stitution was visited, designed for the sick and poor, 
where they can be properly nursed when temporarily 
ill, yet not sufficiently so to seek admission to a regu- 
lar hospital. There have been as many as eight thou- 
sand patients admitted within a twelve-month to this 

2 



18 DUE NORTH. 

establishment. There are also homes for old men and 
old women, intended for indigent persons who are too 
old to work. From the latter " home " there was ob- 
served driving upon the Lange Linic, beside the sea, a 
large open wagon full of dames who were enjoying a 
healthful outing. As the vehicle passed us, the driver 
was pointing out to his charges the distant view of 
Sweden, across the intervening Sound. The Royal 
Theatre or Opera House, situated on the King's Square, 
was to us a surprise, — it is so similar, at first sight, to 
the more elaborate and costly Opera House in the Place 
de 1' Opera in Paris, and as it antedates that elegant 
structure, it would certainly seem to have suggested 
some of its best lines. The Danish theatre will accom- 
modate seventeen hundred persons, and is usually well 
filled, the royal box being seldom empty. The cor- 
ridors are remarkable for spaciousness, and form a 
popular promenade for both sexes during the intervals 
between the acts. This furnishes an agreeable social 
break to the often long-protracted performances. On 
one side of the theatre facing the Square is a hideous 
bronze statue of Adam Oehlenschlaeger, the Danish 
lyric author ; and on the opposite side is another rep- 
resenting Ludwig von Holberg, the Norwegian drama- 
tist. This latter, in an artistic sense, is still more 
objectionable than the first named. The ballet as 
represented here is unique, being mostly designed to 
illustrate the early history of Scandinavia. 

On one of the main thoroughfares leading from the 
Square already named, the triple domes of a Russian 



CHURCHES AND PALACES. 19 

church dazzle the eve with their bright gilded surface 
and long hanging chains, depending from cross and 
crescent of the same metal, the whole reflecting the 
sun's rays with the force of a Venetian mirror. The in- 
terior, however, is plain, though rich in white marble, 
here and there carved in lattice pattern to form balus- 
trades and dados. Near by this church is the residence 
of the Russian Minister. On this same street, called 
the Bredgade, is the Frederick's Church, begun as 
long ago as 1749, after a grand design, and not yet 
finished. It is half surrounded to-day by a broad high 
staging, upon which groups of mechanics were seen 
busily at work, as has been the case for so many gen- 
erations. This is known as the Marble Church, and 
is surmounted by a grand if not graceful dome of im- 
mense proportions. The English residents of the city 
are building an Episcopal church on the Esplanade, 
the local government having given the ground for this 
purpose. The corner-stone was laid by the Prince of 
Wales in 1885, with a grand ceremony, at which the 
Emperor and Empress of Russia assisted, with all the 
Danish royal family. It is the first English church 
erected in the country. On the Amaliegade, which 
runs parallel with the Bredgade and which is the next 
street to it, are four spacious palaces, which form a 
square, in the centre of which stands a bronze statue of 
Frederick V. These palaces are the town residence of 
the present royal family, one being also devoted to the 
business of the Foreign Office. The Amaliegade ends 
at the Lange Linie, where the Esplanade begins. 



20 DUE NORTH. 

The spire of the large city Exchange is very cu- 
rious, being formed of the twisted tails of three 
marvellous dragons, their bulging heads resting on 
the four corners of the tower, — altogether forming 
the most ridiculous attempt at architectural orna- 
mentation we have yet chanced to behold. The 
building thus surmounted dates back to 1624, form- 
ing a memento of the reign of Christian IV. The 
Church of our Saviour has also a remarkable spire, 
with a winding staircase outside leading to the pin- 
nacle. The bell which surmounts this lofty spire, 
and upon which stands a colossal figure of our 
Saviour, is said to be large enough to contain twelve 
persons at a time ; but without climbing to the sum- 
mit, the local guide's assurance that there were just 
three hundred and ninety three steps between base 
and top was unhesitatingly accredited. This church 
was consecrated in 1696. A peculiarity of its steeple 
is the fact that the spiral stairs wind upwards in 
the opposite direction from that which is usual. 
This was undoubtedly an accident on the part of 
the mechanics. Christian IV. detected the awkward- 
ness and pointed it out to the architect, who, sin- 
gular to say, had not before realized a circumstance 
which is now so obvious. His consequent chagrin 
was so great as nearly if not quite to render him in- 
sane. He ascended the spire on the day when the 
work was completed, and ended his life by throwing 
himself from the summit. Such was the entertaining 
legend rehearsed with great volubility to us by our 



THE CHRISTIANSBORG PALACE. 21 

local guide, who was evidently annoyed at our smile 
of incredulity. 

The Christiansborg Palace, which was the Louvre 
of Copenhagen, contained many fine paintings by the 
old masters, including choice examples by Tintoretto, 
Nicholas Poussin, Raphael, Rubens, Salvator Rosa, 
Vandyke, Rembrandt, and others. The building was 
partially burned in 1884, — a fate reserved it would 
seem for all public structures in this country, a simi- 
lar fortune having befallen this same palace seventeen 
or eighteen years ago. It still remains in ruins, and 
the pictures and other works of art, which were saved, 
have not yet found a fitting repository. Not even fire 
has purged this now ruined palace of its many tragic 
histories, its closeted skeletons, and its sorrowful 
memories. It was here that Caroline Matilda was 
made the reigning queen, and here a court mad with 
dissipation held its careless revels. From this place 
the dethroned queen went forth to prison at Elsi- 
nore, and her reputed lover (Struensee) was led to the 
scaffold. There was poetical justice in the retributive 
conduct of the son of the unfortunate queen, one of 
whose earliest acts upon assuming the reins of gov- 
ernment was to confine the odious queen-mother 
Juliana in the same fortress which had formed the 
prison of Caroline Matilda. Though the Christians- 
borg Palace is now in partial ruins, its outer walls 
and fa§ade are still standing nearly complete, quite 
enough so to show that architecturally it was hugely 
ugly. When it was intact its vast courts contained 



22 DUE NORTH. 

the chambers of Parliament, as well as those devoted 
to the suites forming the home of the royal family, 
and spacious art galleries. 

In strolling about the town one comes now and then 
upon very quaint old sections, where low red-tiled 
roofs and houses, with gable ends towards the street, 
break the monotony. The new quarters of Copenha- 
gen, however, are built up with fine blocks of houses, 
mostly in the Grecian style of architecture, — palatial 
residences, with faQades perhaps a little too generally 
decorated by pilasters and floral wreaths, alternating 
with nymphs and cupids. The two-story horse-cars 
convey one in about fifteen minutes over a long, level, 
tree-shaded avenue from the centre of the city to 
Fredericksborg Castle in the environs. It is a palace 
erected by Frederick IV. as a summer residence for 
himself and court, but though capacious and finely 
located, it is void of all aspect of architectural gran- 
deur. As a portion of the grounds commands a fine 
view of the city, the castle is generally visited by 
strangers. The spacious building is at present used 
for a military educational school. The park which 
surrounds Fredericksborg Castle is the great charm of 
the locality, being ornamented in all parts by imme- 
morial trees, deep sylvan shades, purling streams, 
graceful lakes, and inviting greensward. It forms 
the daily resort of picnic parties from the close streets 
of the town near at hand, who come hither on sum- 
mer afternoons in such numbers as to tax the full 
capacity of the tramway. At the entrance to the 



THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN. 23 

park stands a bronze statue of Frederick IV., which 
presents so strong a likeness to Lamartine, in form and 
feature, as instantly to recall the French orator and 
poet. Adjoining the extensive grounds of the castle 
is the Zoological Garden, which appears to occupy 
about ten acres of well-wooded and highly cultivated 
territory, ornamented with choice flower-beds, small 
lakes for aquatic birds, and a large brook running 
through the midst of the grounds. There is here an 
admirable collection of animals. The author's visit 
chanced upon a Saturday afternoon, when a bevy of 
primary-school children, composed of boys and girls 
under twelve years, was being conducted from section 
to section by their teachers, while the nature of each 
animal was lucidly explained to them. No advantage 
for educational purposes seems to be forgotten or 
neglected in Denmark. 



1 

4 



CHAPTER II. 

Public Amusements in Copenhagen. — Danish Sovereigns. — The Fash- 
ionable Promenade. — Danish Women. — Palace of Rosenborg. — 
A Golconda of Gems. — A Poet's Monument. — A Famous Astron- 
omer. — Our Lady's Church. — The King's Square. — The Curious 
Old Pound Tower. — The Peasantry. ■ — A Famous Deer Park. — ■ 
Roskilde. — Elsinore. — Gypsies. ■ — Kr'onborg Castle. — The Queen's 
Prison. — Hamlet and Ophelia's Grave. — A Danish Legend. 

Copenhagen is not without its ballets, theatres, 
Alhambras, Walhallas, and cafes chantants. The prin- 
cipal out-door resort of this character is the Tivoli 
Gardens, laid out in the Moorish style, where the citi- 
zens, representing all classes, — the cultured, the ar- 
tisan, and the peasant, — assemble and mingle together 
in a free-and-easy way. Here they enjoy the long 
summer evenings, which indeed at this season of the 
year do not seem like evenings at all, since they are 
nearly as light as the day. Whatever may be said in 
advocacy of these public assemblies, enjoyed amid the 
trees, flowers, soft air, and artistic surroundings, there 
seems to a casual visitor to be too much freedom per- 
mitted between the sexes for entire respectability, and 
yet nothing actually repulsive was observable. In 
Berlin or Vienna these popular resorts would be des- 
ignated as beer gardens ; here they are called tea- 
gardens. The Tivoli has a fine ballet troup among 
its attractions, and employs two orchestras of forty 



THE FASHIONABLE PROMENADE. 25 

instrumental performers each, stationed in different 
parts of the spacious gardens. The price of admis- 
sion to these illuminated grounds is merely nominal. 
Some of the wealthiest families as well as the humbler 
bring their children with them, as is the custom of 
those who frequent the beer gardens of Munich and 
Dresden. As a popular place of varied and attractive 
amusements the Tivoli of Copenhagen has hardly its 
equal in Europe. 

Just across the harbor is the spacious and fertile 
island of Amager, some twenty square miles in extent, 
which serves as the kitchen or vegetable garden of the 
capital. It was first occupied by a colony of Flemings 
who were brought hither in 1516 by Charles II., for the 
purpose of teaching his subjects how to cultivate vege- 
tables and flowers. The descendants of these foreign- 
ers still retain traces of their origin, remaining quite 
distinctive in their costume and personality. These 
peasants, or at least those who daily come to market, 
must be well off in a pecuniary sense, judging by their 
gold and silver ornaments and fanciful dresses. 

Tramways render all parts of the city and environs 
accessible, the double-decked cars enabling them to 
carry a large number of passengers. Broad streets 
and convenient sidewalks invite the promenaders 
along the open squares, which are frequently lined 
with umbrageous trees and embellished with monu- 
ments. The fashionable drive and promenade is the 
Lange Linie (that is, the " Long Line " ), bordering the 
Sound and forming a complete circle. It reminded one 



26 DUE NORTH. 

of the Chiaja of Naples, though there is no semi-tropical 
vegetation to carry out the similitude. It was pleas- 
ant to meet here the members of the royal family, 
including the Queen and Prince Royal. The two 
servants upon the box in scarlet livery were the only 
distinctive tokens of royalty observable, and there were 
no other attendants. Her Majesty and the Prince were 
both prompt to recognize and salute us as a stranger. 
The present king, Christian IX., it will be remem- 
bered, was crowned in 1863, and is now in his sixty- 
fifth year. Being in poor health, during our visit he 
was absent at Wiesbaden, partaking of its mineral 
waters. It must be admitted that the past sovereigns 
of Denmark have not always been so deserving of 
popular respect as have the people of the country 
generally. The late king was by no means a shining 
light of morality. He was married three times, di- 
vorcing his first queen ; the second divorced him, and 
the royal roue ended by marrying his mistress, who 
was a fashionable milliner. He first created her a 
countess, but he could not make a lady of her, even in 
outward appearance, and she remained to the last a 
social monstrosity to the court. She was fat, vulgar- 
looking, snub-nosed, bourgeoise, and ruled the King 
in all things. She was totally ignored by decent 
society in the capital, and became so obnoxious that 
she nearly provoked open rebellion. However, the 
fortunate death of the King finally ended this con- 
dition of affairs ; and as he left no children by any 
of his wives, the crown descended to his cousin the 



THE PALACE OF ROSENBORG. 27 

present King, who, it is pleasant to record, has not 
failed to dignify the throne. 

The ladies walk or drive very generally in the after- 
noon upon the Lange Linie, and are certainly attrac- 
tive with their fair complexions, light golden hair, 
and smiling blue eyes. They have both sunny faces 
and sunny hearts, emphasized by the merriest tones 
of ringing laughter that ever saluted the ear. They 
are lovable, but not beautiful, excelling in ordinary, 
accomplishments, such as music and dancing; "but 
above all," said a resident American to us, " they are 
naturally of domestic habits, and care nothing for 
politics or so-called woman's rights, except the right 
to make home happy." The well-to-do portion of the 
community very generally live in " flats," after the 
French and modern American style. Some large and 
elegant buildings of this character were observed in 
course of construction at the extreme end of the Bred- 
gade. There is no very poor or squalid district in the 
town, and one looks in vain for such wretched hovels 
as disfigure so many European cities. 

The Palace of Rosenborg with its superb gardens, 
noble avenues of chestnut trees, and graceful shrub- 
bery is situated near the present centre of the city. 
It was once a royal residence, having been built by 
Christian IV. as a dwelling-place, whither he might 
retire at will from the noise and interruptions of the 
capital. At the time of its erection in 1604 it was 
outside the walls, a radius which the modern city has 
long since outgrown. The room in which the King 



28 DUE NORTH. 

died in 1648 is shown to visitors, and recalled to us 
the small apartment in which Philip II. died at the 
Escurial, near Madrid. Among the few paintings 
upon the walls of this apartment is one representing 
the King upon his death-bed, as he lay in his last long- 
sleep. The palace is now devoted to a chronological 
collection of the belongings of the Danish kings, 
spacious apartments being devoted to souvenirs of 
each, decorated in the style of the period and contain- 
ing a portion of the original furniture from the several 
royal residences, as well as the family portraits, gala- 
costumes, jewelry, plate, and weapons. Altogether it 
is a collection of priceless value and of remarkable 
historic interest, covering a period of about four hun- 
dred and fifty years. One is forcibly reminded of the 
Green Vaults of Dresden while passing through the 
many sections of Rosenborg Castle. The extraordi- 
nary and valuable collection within its walls has, it is 
believed, no superior in point of interest in all Europe. 
The founder of this museum was Frederick III., the 
son and successor of Christian IV. Some of the cab- 
inets and other articles of furniture in the various halls 
and rooms are marvellous works of art, inlaid with 
ivory and mother-of-pearl, representing birds, flowers, 
landscapes, and domestic scenes with all the finished 
effect of oil paintings by a master-hand. In the cab- 
inets and tables secret drawers are exposed to view by 
the touching of hidden springs. While some tables 
are formed of solid silver, as are also other articles 
of domestic use, still others are composed of both gold 



A POET'S MONUMENT. 29 

and silver. Many of the royal regalias are profusely 
inlaid with diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, rubies, and 
other precious stones, — forming an aggregated value 
too large for us to venture an estimate. The toilet 
sets were numerous, and had belonged to the several 
queens, each embracing eight or ten finely wrought 
pieces made of solid gold, superbly inlaid with pre- 
cious stones. Among these costly sets was observed 
the jewelled casket of Queen Sophia Amalie, wife 
of Frederick III., a relic of great interest, inlaid with 
scores of large diamonds. The costly and very beauti- 
ful bridal dresses of several royal personages are here 
exhibited, all being carefully and chronologically ar- 
ranged, so that the intelligent visitor clearly reads veri- 
table history amid this array of domestic treasures. 

It is difficult to designate the order of architecture 
to which the Rosenborg Palace belongs, though it is 
clearly enough in the showy renaissance of the seven- 
teenth century. It is attributed to the famous archi- 
tect Inigo Jones. In the spacious grounds is a fine 
monument erected to the memory of Hans Christian 
Andersen, the Danish poet and author, whose popular 
tales are the delight not only of all Scandinavian 
children, but of those of larger growth, being full of 
acute observation and profound views under a simple 
and familiar guise. At the foot of this statue, as we 
passed by, there stood a group of young children, to 
whom one evidently their teacher was explaining its 
purport. A school of gardening is also established 
here, with extensive conservatories and hot-houses. 



30 DUE NORTH. 

These grounds are called the Kindergarten of the 
city, being so universally the resort of infancy and 
childhood during the long summer days, but are offi- 
cially known as Kongen's Have (King's Garden). 

Close to the Rosenborg Palace is the Astronomical 
Observatory, in the grounds of which is a monument 
to the astronomer Tycho Brahe, who died in 1610. 
This monument was unveiled on the 8th day of August, 
1876, just three hundred years after the founding of 
Brahe's famous observatory on the Island of Hveen, 
where he discovered on the 1st of November, 1572, the 
Cassiopeia, which is best known as Tycho Brahe's star. 
" Only Venus at her brightest surpasses this new 
star," wrote the enthusiastic astronomer. Science, 
however, has since shown that it was no new star, 
but one that shines with great lustre for a few months 
once in a period of three hundred years. One sunny 
afternoon the author took a trip up the Sound to 
Hveen, familiarly known as Tycho Brahe's Island, 
and which was presented to Tycho by the King of 
Denmark. The foundation in ruins is all that re- 
mains of the famous castle which the somewhat vain 
astronomer built here, and to which he gave the name 
of Uraniborg (" Castle of the Heavens."). This man 
was a strange compound of science and superstition; 
he was a poet of no ordinary power, and was courted 
by many of the eminent men of his clay. James VI. 
of Scotland was at times his guest at Hveen. He was 
well connected, but mortally offended his relatives by 
marrying an humble peasant girl of Amager. 



THE ROUND TOWER. 31 

The most interesting Christian temple in the capital 
is that of Our Lady's Church, being also the oldest 
and best endowed. It was founded early in the 
twelfth century, and is in the Greco-Roman style ; but 
its greatest attraction is the possession of some of 
Thorwaldsen's finest sculpture. The sad-fated Caro- 
line Matilda was married with great ceremony in this 
church, in 1766, to her cousin Christian VII. Out- 
side of the church are two statues in bronze, — one of 
David by Jerichau, and one of Moses by Bissen. The 
King's Square already spoken of is situated very near 
the actual centre of the city, whence radiates a dozen 
more or less of the principal streets, of which the 
Bredgade (Broad Street) is one. In the middle of 
this area there is a statue of Christian V. surrounded 
by grotesque, allegorical figures. The material of the 
statue is lead, the whole forming a colossal caricature 
upon art, entirely unworthy of its present situation. 
There is a friendly collection of tall shrubbery clus- 
tered about the leaden statue, forming a partial 
screen. The spacious square, or circus as it would be 
called in London, or piazza in Rome, is bordered by 
several public buildings, mingled with tall narrow 
dwellings, characterized by fantastic gables and long 
sloping roofs full of little dormer windows. The 
Royal Theatre, the Academy of Arts, Count Moltke's 
picture gallery, and some hotels centre here. 

The Round Tower of Copenhagen has been pro- 
nounced one of the most remarkable buildings in the 
world. It is certainly very peculiar, designed as a sort 



32 DUE NORTH. 

of annex to the Church of the Holy Trinity. Formerly 
it served as an astronomical observatory ; and it is an 
observatory still, since it affords one of the best and 
most comprehensive views that can be had of the low- 
lying capital. The tower consists of two hollow cylin- 
ders, and between them a spiral, gradually-inclined 
foot-way leads from base to summit, somewhat similar 
to the grand Campanile in the piazza of St. Mark, Yen- 
ice. It is quite safe for a horse and vehicle to ascend ; 
indeed, this performance is said to have been achieved 
by the Empress Catherine, and it is also recorded that 
Peter the Great accomplished the same feat on horse- 
back in 1707. From the top of the Round Tower the 
red-tiled roofs of the city lie spread out beneath the 
eye of the visitor, mingled with green parks, open 
squares, tall slim steeples, broad canals, public build- 
ings, long boulevards, palaces, and gardens. To this 
aspect is added the multitude of shipping lying along 
the piers and grouped in the harbor, backed by a view 
of the open sea. The Swedish coast across the Baltic 
is represented by a low range of coast-line losing itself 
upon the distant horizon. Turning the eyes inland, 
there are seen thick groves of dark woods and richly 
cultivated fields, sprinkled here and there by the half- 
awkward but picturesque and wide-armed wind-mills in 
lazy potion. The bird's-eye view obtained of Copen- 
hagen and surroundings from this eyrie is one to be 
long and vividly remembered. 

The environs within eight or ten miles of the city 
are rather sparsely inhabited, though there are many 



THE PEASANTRY. 33 

delightful villas to be seen here and there. Every- 
thing is scrupulously neat; human and animal life 
appears at its best. The whole of the island, from 
one end to the other, is interspersed with thrifty farms, 
and no dwellings, barns, or other farm buildings are 
so humble but that the walls are kept of snowy 
brightness with whitewash, while all are surrounded 
by well-kept shrubbery, birches, and flower-plats. The 
peasant girls seen at work in large numbers in the 
field are smiling, ruddy, and stout ; the men are of 
low stature, but hale and hearty. We were informed 
that the nominal increase of the population is so small 
as to be hardly recognizable, being but about one per 
cent per annum, and — singular fact — that suicide is 
more prevalent in Denmark than in any other portion 
of Europe. Emigration from this country is far less 
in proportion than from Norway and Sweden, but yet 
amounts to a respectable aggregate annually. Some 
of the birch and linden woods not far from the city 
form beautiful and picturesque groves, particularly 
in the suburb north of the capital, where the Prince 
Imperial has a large chateau, situated amid rich 
woodland glades. Though the spruce and pine are 
so abundant in Norway and Sweden just across the 
narrow Sound, no conifer will grow in Denmark. 
Tea-gardens abound in these environs, the citizens 
knowing no greater pleasure than to resort thither to 
enjoy their tea or supper in the open air. The short 
summer season is more than tropical in the haste it 
imparts to vegetation, making up for its brevity by its 

3 



34 DUE NORTH. 

intensity. Were this not the case, the crops would 
hardly reach maturity in Scandinavia. 

There is what is called the Dyrehave, or Deer Park, 
a couple of miles beyond the Prince's chateau, where 
the people of Copenhagen annually enjoy a mid- 
summer revel lasting some weeks, perhaps a little 
too fast and free, if the truth be told, where even 
Nijnii-Novgorod is exceeded in lasciviousness. A 
fair of some days' continuance is held in the park, 
which reaches its climax on St. John's Eve, when its 
well-arranged precincts, groves, cafe's, shooting galler- 
ies, flower-booths and verdant vistas make a rare pic- 
ture of gayety and sportive life. A large herd of the 
picturesque animals after whom the park is named, 
roam at will over the more secluded portions. Among 
them two noble white stags were observed, the first 
we had ever chanced to see. The park is reached by 
a pleasant drive over an excellent road, or by steam 
tramway cars any hour in the day. 

Twenty miles northwest of the city are situated the 
village and the royal palace of Fredericksborg, one of 
the noblest of all the royal residences of the kings of 
Denmark. It stands about midway between the capi- 
tal and Elsinore. The original building was begun 
under Frederick II., grandfather of Charles I. of 
England, and completed in 1608 by his son and suc- 
cessor Christian IV. The palace occupies three small 
islands in the middle of Lake Hillerod, which is also 
the name of the neighboring market-town, the islands 
being connected therewith by a bridge. The building 



LEE DO YE AND R0SK1LDE. 35 

is four stories in height, composed of red sandstone, 
elaborately ornamented with sculpture, the whole 
surmounted by tall towers and a steeple containing a 
chime of bells. It has been pronounced a dream of 
architectural beauty, quite unequalled elsewhere in 
Denmark. 

It is not the author's purpose to take the reader far 
away from Copenhagen, or at least from the shores of 
the Sound, as the plan of the present volume is so com- 
prehensive in other directions as to circumscribe the 
space which can properly be devoted to Denmark. 

On the peninsula, as well as in Zeeland, the land is 
generally undulating. There being as we have said 
no mountains or considerable elevations, consequent- 
ly no waterfalls or rapids are to be met with ; the 
rivers are smooth and the lakes mirror-like. The 
soil is sandy, often marshy, but produces good crops 
of grain and affords fine pasturage. The green fields 
were sprinkled far and near on the line of the railroad 
from Korsoer to Copenhagen with grazing cattle, 
sheep, and horses, forming a pleasing rural picture 
under a clear azure sky. The produce of the dairy 
is the great staple of Denmark. On this route one 
passes through the village of Leedoye, where there 
was once a grand Pagan temple and place of sacrifice, 
exceeded in importance in Scandinavia only by that 
at Upsala. Close at hand is Roskilde, so historically 
interesting, — though save its grand cathedral, dating 
from the twelfth or thirteenth century, it has little 
left to show that for five hundred years it was the 



36 DUE NORTH. 

capital of Denmark, even down to 1448. Here is to 
be seen the black marble sarcophagus of the renowned 
Queen Margaret of Scandinavia, surmounted by her 
recumbent effigy ; also a mortuary chapel of Christian 
IV. and Frederick V. Other queens and monarchs 
are here interred, from the time of Harold to Freder- 
ick VII. The whole forms an exceedingly interesting 
monument of mediaeval days. 

Upon this line of road there are occasional districts 
so well wooded as to be called forests ; but that word 
does not signify the same in Zeeland as it does in 
America. There are still to be seen occasional groups 
of gypsy vagrants in the inland districts, but are 
rarely to be found in the cities. Not many years 
ago they were here in great numbers, but are now 
gradually disappearing. One group was observed 
whose members presented all the peculiar character- 
istics of their Asiatic origin. They are dark-skinned, 
with raven-black hair and black piercing eyes, pre- 
senting a picture of indolence and sensuousness. The 
young women were mostly handsome, even in their 
dirt, rags, and cheap jewelry. 

The ramparts and fortifications generally which 
formerly surrounded Copenhagen on the seaside have 
nearly all been demolished, the ground being now 
turned into fine garden-walks planted with umbra- 
geous trees and bright-hued flowers, adding greatly 
to the beauty of the Danish capital. The last unim- 
proved portion of these now defunct fortifications is 
being levelled and brought into ornamental condition. 



THE TOWN OF ELSINORE. 37 

The former moats have assumed the shape of tiny 
lakes, upon which swans are seen at all hours ; and 
where death-dealing cannon were planted, lindens, 
rose-bushes, peonies, heliotrope, and tall white lilies 
now bloom and flourish. The outer-island defences 
have in the mean time been greatly strengthened and 
the more modern weapons of warfare adopted, so that 
Copenhagen is even better prepared for self-defence 
than ever before. 

No finer scenery is to be found in Europe than is 
presented by the country lying between Copenhagen 
and Elsinore, composed of a succession of forests, 
lawns, villas, cottages, and gardens for a distance of 
twenty-five miles. Elsinore is a small seaport, look- 
ing rather deserted, bleak, and silent, with less than 
ten thousand inhabitants. From out of the uniformity 
of its red brick buildings there looms up but one no- 
ticeable public edifice ; namely, the Town Hall, with 
a square, flanked by an octagonal tower built of brick 
and red granite. The charm of the place is its re- 
markable situation, commanding an admirable view 
of the Baltic with Sweden in the distance, while the 
Sound which divides the two shores is always dotted 
in summer with myriads of steamers and sailing 
vessels. The author counted over eighty marine 
craft at one view, glancing between " the blue above 
and the blue below." The position of Elsinore recalls 
that of Gibraltar and the Dardanelles as surely as its 
name recalls Hamlet and Shakspeare. North of the 
town, on the extreme point of the land, stands the 



38 DUE NORTH. 

famous castle of Kronborg, with its three tall towers, 
the central one overtopping the others by forty or 
fifty feet. The tower upon the most seaward corner 
is now devoted to the purpose of a lighthouse. The 
castle is about three centuries old, having been built 
by Frederick II. for the purpose of commanding the 
entrance to the Sound, and of enforcing the marine 
tolls which were exacted from all foreign nations for 
a period of two or three centuries. Kronborg contains 
a small collection of oil paintings, nearly all of which 
are by Danish artists. A portrait of Rubens' s daugh- 
ter by the hand of the great master himself was 
observed. There is also an ideal portrait of consid- 
erable merit entitled Hamlet, by Abildgaard. But to 
the author, as he strolled from one spacious apart- 
ment to another, there came forcibly the sad memory 
of the young and lovely Caroline Matilda, Queen of 
Denmark and sister of George III. It was here that 
she was confined, upon a preposterous charge of infi- 
delity to her husband, — that royal lunatic ! — insti- 
tuted by the malignity of the Queen Dowager, who 
wished to secure the succession to her son. After a 
trying period of imprisonment in this castle, the ill- 
fated Matilda was permitted, through the influence of 
her royal brother to retire to Zell, in Hanover, where 
she died of a broken heart at the age of twenty-three. 
During her misfortune she wrote that memorable line 
on the window of Fredericksborg Castle, with a dia- 
mond ring, — 

" Lord keep me innocent : make others great." 



HAMLET'S GRAVE. 39 

One has only to study for a moment the serene and 
beautiful face of the Queen, as exhibited in Rosenborg 
Palace, to feel entire confidence in her innocence. 

If you come to Elsinore the guide will show you 
what is called Hamlet's grave, located in a small 
grove of trees, where some cunning hands long ago 
erected a rude mound of stones. Shakspeare, who 
had a royal way of committing anachronisms, made 
Hamlet live in this place after the introduction of 
gunpowder, whereas, if any such person ever did 
exist, it was centuries earlier and hundreds of miles 
farther north upon the mainland, in what is now Jut- 
land. However, that is unimportant. Do not leave 
Elsinore without visiting Ophelia's fatal brook ! To 
be sure it is not large enough for a duck to swim in, 
but a little stretch of the imagination will overcome 
all local discrepancies. 

Far back in Danish legendary story, a time when 
history fades into fable, it is said there was a Hamlet 
in northern Denmark, but it was long before the birth 
of Christ. His father was not a king, but a famous 
pirate chief who governed Jutland in conjunction with 
his brother. Hamlet's father married the daughter 
of a Danish king, the issue being Hamlet. His uncle, 
according to the ancient story, did murder Hamlet's 
father and afterwards married his mother ; and this 
was the basis of Shakspeare's grand production. 

The great, gloomy-looking castle of Kronborg, 
which has stood sentinel here for three centuries, 
would require two thousand men and more to defend 



40 DUE NORTH. 

it in time of war, but modern gunnery has rendered 
it, for all offensive purposes, of no account. The 
Sound, which at Copenhagen is about twenty miles 
wide, here narrows to two, the old fort of Helsing- 
borg on the Swedish coast being in full view. Thus 
the passage here forms the natural gate to the Baltic. 
There are delightful drives in the environs of Elsinore 
presenting land and sea views of exquisite loveliness, 
the water-side bristling with reefs, rocks, and light- 
houses, while that of the land is picturesque with 
villas, groves, and cultivated meads. 



CHAPTER III. 

Gottenburg. — Ruins of Elfsborg. — Gustavus Adolphus. — A Wrecked 
Monument. — The Girdle-Duellists. — Emigration to America. — 
Public and Private Gardens. — A Kindly People. — The Gotha 
Canal. — Falls of Trollhatta. — Dainty Wild-Flowers. — Water- 
ways. — Stockholm and Lake Maelaren. — Prehistoric Tokens. — 
Iron Mines of Sweden. — Pleasing Episode with Children. — The 
Liquor Traffic Systematized. — A Great Practical Charity. — A 
Domestic Habit. 

One day's sail due north from Copenhagen through 
the Sound and the Cattegat — Strait of Catti — brings 
us to Gottenburg, the metropolis of southwestern 
Sweden. The Strait, which is about a hundred miles 
in width, is nearly twice as long, and contains many 
diminutive islands. Gottenburg is situated on the 
Gotha River, about five miles from its mouth. In 
passing up this water-way the old fortification of 
Elfsborg was observed, now dismantled and deserted, 
though it once did good service in the war with the 
Danes. Cannon-balls are still to be seen half em- 
bedded in the crumbling stonewalls, — missiles which 
were fired from the enemy's ships. Though Gotten- 
burg is less populous, it is commercially almost as 
important as Stockholm the capital, and it is appro- 
priately called the Liverpool of Scandinavia. The 
town, with its eighty thousand inhabitants, has a wide- 



42 DUE NORTH. 

awake aspect, especially in the neighborhood of the 
river, where the numerous well-stocked timber-yards 
along the wharves show that product to be a great 
staple of the local trade. One is agreeably prepos- 
sessed upon landing here by a certain aspect of neat- 
ness and cleanliness observable on all sides. Indeed, 
few foreign towns produce so favorable a first impres- 
sion. The business centre is the Gustaf-Adolf-Torg, 
in which is situated the Bors, or Exchange, decidedly 
the finest building architecturally in the city. In the 
centre of the Torg is a bronze statue of Gustavus 
Adolphus, the founder of the town, and which, as a 
work of art, is extremely creditable to the designer, 
Fogelberg. The history of the statue is somewhat 
curious. It seems that the first one designed for 
this public square was wrecked at sea while on its 
passage from Hamburg to Gottenburg, but was res- 
cued by a party of sailors off Heligoland, who claimed 
so extraordinary a sum as salvage that the Gotten- 
burgers refused to pay it, and ordered of the sculptor 
a second one to replace that which had been saved 
from the sea. In due time the second statue was fur- 
nished and set up in the Torg, Nov. 5, 1855, on the two 
hundred and twenty-third anniversary of the death of 
Gustavus. The extortionate seamen who held the first 
statue were finally glad to sell it to other parties for a 
comparatively small sum, representing its bare metallic 
value. It now stands in the Domshide of Bremen. 

The deep, broad watercourse which runs through 
the centre of the city to the harbor is the beginning 



GOTTEN BURG. 43 

of the famous Gotha Canal, which joins fjord, river, 
locks, and lakes together all the way to Stockholm, 
directly across southern Sweden, thus connecting 
the North Sea and the Baltic. The two cities are 
also joined by railroad, the distance between them 
being over three hundred miles. The rural parts of 
the country through which the canal passes are not 
unlike many inland sections of New England, present- 
ing pleasant views of thrifty farms and well-cultivated 
lands. There are some sharp hills and abrupt valleys 
to be encountered, which are often characterized by 
grand waterfalls, wild-foaming rivers, and surging 
rapids. 

Though there is no striking similarity between the 
two cities, one is yet reminded of Amsterdam by 
Gottenburg, aided perhaps by the memory that it was 
originally founded by Gustavus Adolphus, in 1619, and 
that Dutch settlers were among its first inhabitants. 
The descendants of such people are pretty sure to 
retain an ancestral atmosphere about them which is 
more or less distinctive. The place is divided into 
an upper and lower town, the latter being a plain 
cut up into canals, and the former spread pictur- 
esquely over the adjoining hills. The town is made 
up of two or three principal boulevards, very broad, 
and intersecting one another at right angles, with 
a canal in their centres, these waterways being em- 
banked by substantial granite borders, which are in- 
terspersed at convenient distances with granite steps 
connecting the street with the water. The spacious 



44 DUE NORTH. 

harbor admits of vessels drawing seventeen feet of 
water. 

Gottenburg is built mostly of brick, which are 
brought either from Denmark or Holland ; and yet 
the whole peninsula of Scandinavia abounds in stone. 
Large blocks of dwelling-houses were observed in 
course of construction which were of four or five 
stories, and quite elegant in design. The citizens 
feel a just pride in a well-endowed College, a large 
Public Library, an Exchange, two Orphan Asylums, a 
flourishing Society of Arts and Sciences, a large The- 
atre, and two spacious public parks. In front of the 
theatre is an admirable reproduction of Molin, the 
Swedish sculptor's famous group of two figures repre- 
senting " the girdle-duellists," the original of which 
stands in front of the National Museum at Stockholm. 
This popular and vigorous composition is reproduced 
in plaster and terra-cotta, and offered for sale in all 
the cities of the North, being particularly numerous 
in the art stores of Copenhagen. It depicts one of 
the ancient Scandinavian duels, wherein the com- 
batants, stripped to the skin, were bound together by 
their united leather belts, and thus confined, fought 
out their battle with their knives, the result proving 
nearly always fatal to both. Previous to engaging in 
the conflict, each of the contestants drove the blade 
of his knife as deep into a thick pine-board as he 
could do with one stroke of his arm. All the rest of 
the blade was then blunted and bound securely with 
cord, leaving only the inch, more or less, exposed 



EMIGRATION TO AMERICA. 45 

which had been buried in the wood. If the weap- 
ons had not been thus partially protected, the first 
blow might have proved fatal, whereas these ancient 
belt-duels were designed to exemplify strength and 
endurance. The splendid pose and fine muscular 
development of the two figures, represented at the 
height of their struggle, have justly given its author 
lasting fame. This group has been declared to hold 
the same place in modern sculpture that Meissonier's 
picture of " The Quarrel," the original of which is 
the property of Queen Victoria, holds in modern 
painting. 

Gottenburg is not without its cathedral and numer- 
ous fine churches, but especially it has excellent com- 
mon schools of the several grades, primary, middle, 
and high. It will be remembered that education is 
compulsory throughout Sweden. English is regularly 
taught in her schools and very generally spoken by 
the educated classes. In conversation with the com- 
mon people, it was discovered that the goal of their 
ambition was to emigrate to America. The depart- 
ures for this country, though not excessive, are yet 
steady both from this port and Stockholm, aggre- 
gating in some years forty thousand from Sweden 
and Norway combined, now and then a group of Finns 
going to make up the number. Money among the 
lower classes is almost as scarce as it is in Ireland ; 
but those who have emigrated, and have been success- 
ful, liberally remit money wherewith to enable family 
and friends to join them in America. 



46 DUE NORTH. 

The Public Gardens of Gottenburg are beautifully 
arranged, and are kept in exquisite condition, — one 
large division being designated as the Botanical Gar- 
dens, and abundantly supplied with exotics, especially 
from tropical regions. Blooming hawthorn, white 
and pink lilacs, and a great variety of beautiful trees 
challenge admiration on entering these grounds. 
Among many familiar flowers a species of dwarf 
lobelia of azure blue and the Alpine forget-me-not, 
with pale-blue flowers and yellow eyes, were particu- 
larly observable, mingled with pansies in a confused 
variety of mammoth proportions. The golden-leaved 
verbena and a large, tall, pearly-white tiger-flower 
were both abundant, the latter speckled with ruby- 
colored spots. The horse-chestnut trees were in great 
variety and the largest we had ever seen. There were 
many grand old oaks and fine Lombardy poplars in 
stately ranks, as upright as soldiers at a review. 
Inland excursions showed the pine and the fir to be 
the prevailing trees, the birch becoming more abun- 
dant farther north. Fully one third of the country, 
as we were assured, is covered with woods, some of 
which seemed almost endless in extent. The imme- 
diate environs of Gottenburg are very attractive, well 
wooded, and adorned with picturesque cottages and 
some large villas. Among others which we visited 
was that of Oscar Dickson, famous for his interest in 
Arctic expeditions. No private gardens in England 
or America are more admirably kept, and the grape- 
houses we have never seen surpassed in the varieties 



THE GOTBA CANAL. 47 

or perfection of the fruit. The low-lands were found 
occasionally bright with the golden petals of the 
marsh-marigold, which fairly blazed under the direct 
rays of the sun. There is a saying here, that when it 
blooms the cuckoo comes and the roach spawns. A 
fine old bit of mouldering, ivy-grown ruins in the 
shape of a Martello tower, situated upon rising ground 
and overlooking the entrance to the inland waters, is 
sure to attract the traveller's admiring eye. 

The kindness of the common people and their 
pleasant manners are most captivating, being charac- 
terized by quiet self-possession and thoughtful ness for 
a stranger's well-being. In more than one instance a 
casual inquiry was not only promptly responded to, 
but we were taken pleasantly in hand, and other wel- 
come though unsought guidance and information 
were voluntarily offered. Education is far more gen- 
eral and culture is of a higher grade in Sweden than 
is common with the people of Southern Europe, while 
music seems to be as universal an accomplishment 
here as it is in Italy. The population is frugal, hon- 
est, self-helping, and in many respects resembles that 
of Switzerland. 

The system of inland communication by means of 
the Gotha Canal is one of the most remarkable ever 
achieved by man, when the obstacles which have been 
overcome and the advantages accomplished are taken 
into consideration. Steam-vessels, limited to one hun- 
dred and six feet in length on account of the size of 
the locks, are carried regularly hundreds of miles by 



48 DUE NORTH. 

it across and over the highlands of southern Sweden 
from sea to sea. The reader can easily realize what 
a triumph of engineering skill it is when he sees a 
well-freighted steamboat climb a mountain side, float 
through lock after lock, and after reaching the apex 
of the hilly country, descend with equal facility 
towards the coast and sea-level. Steamboats and 
sailing vessels navigating the canal rise, in all, three 
hundred and eighty feet above the level of the Baltic 
during the passage across the country. At the little 
town of Berg the locks are sixteen in number, and 
form a gigantic staircase, by means of which vessels 
are raised at this point one hundred and twenty feet. 
Here, as well as at the famous Falls of Trollhatta, the 
traveller can leave the steamer for three or four 
hours, walking on in advance, and thus obtaining 
some charming views of inland scenery. No intelli- 
gent person can fail to appreciate the grandeur of 
the remarkable falls jus,t mentioned, with their pine- 
clad, precipitous banks and wild tumult of waters, 
partially screened by a white foam-cloud reaching far 
heavenward. 

If possible, it is well to tarry for a day at Troll- 
hatta, visiting the various points of interest about 
the famous rapids, and watching the many steam- 
boats and other vessels which pass so mysteriously 
through the ponderous locks, ascending and descend- 
ing the elevations with mathematical regularity and 
speed. The valley through which the railroad passes, 
often parallel with the canal, on the way from 



THE FALLS OF TROLLHATTA. 49 

Gottenburg to Trollhatta, is one of the most fer- 
tile in Sweden, and when we saw it was rich with 
ripening grains. The falls are accessible from Got- 
tenburg by rail in about two hours' travel, or by canal 
leaving the city early in the morning and returning in 
the evening, giving the visitor six or eight hours' time 
at the falls. Trollhatta presents one of the great 
curiosities of Sweden, to visit which tourists come 
from all parts of Europe. It is true that the hoarse 
music of these falls is mingled with the din of saw- 
mills, foundries, and smithies, — but one need not 
specially regard them. A little poetical latitude adds 
zest to imagination, and we see the beauties and mar- 
vels which we come prepared to see. The falls con- 
sist of a series of tremendous rapids extending over a 
distance of about two hundred yards, and producing 
an uproar almost equal to the ceaseless oratorio of 
Niagara. The rapids are intersected by two or three 
rocky but well-wooded islands, on either side of which 
the angry waters rush with a wild, resistless power, 
tossed by the many sub-currents. The whole array 
of rapids forms a succession of falls of which the first 
is called Gullofallet, where on both sides of an inac- 
cessible little island the waters make a leap of twenty- 
six feet in height, the rebound creating a constant 
cloud of feathery spray. Then follows the highest of 
the falls, the Toppofallet, of forty-four feet in height, 
likewise divided by a cliff into two parts, against 
which the frantic waters chafe angrily. The next fall 
measures less than ten feet in height, followed a little 

4 



50 DUE NORTH. 

way down the rapids by what is called the Flottberg- 
strom, — all together making a fall of foaming eddies 
and whirls equal to about one hundreci and twelve 
feet. While near to these roaring waters amid the 
general chaos, conversation is impossible. As at all 
extensive falls, rainbows constantly hang over and 
about the wild surging waters reflected in the gauze- 
clouds of transparent mist. 

While strolling through the wood-paths and over 
the rocky ways which line this sleepless disorder of 
the waters, the grounds in many places were seen to 
be gorgeously decked with flowers of Nature's plant- 
ing, — many-colored, sunshine-loving things. Among 
those more particularly abundant was the pretty 
violet-purple flower of the butterwort, each circle of 
pale-yellow leaves, with the stalk rising from the 
centre crowned with its peculiar bloom. " Beautiful 
objects of the wild-bee's love." But for the glutinous 
exudation one would be tempted to gather them by 
handfuls. The town of Trollhatta is a village of three 
thousand inhabitants, and contains a graceful little 
Gothic church. The people are mostly manufac- 
turers, who manage to utilize profitably a portion of 
the enormous water-power afforded by the falls. The 
word Trollhatta, we were told, signifies " the home of 
the water-witches." The local legends with which 
the traveller is freely regaled by the guides would fill 
a good-sized volume in print, but we feel disinclined 
to inflict them second-hand and wholesale upon the 
patient reader. 



SWEDISH LAKES. 51 

The Gotha Canal, as before intimated, utilizes and 
connects several of the great lakes of southern 
Sweden, the principal ones in Scandinavia being lo- 
cated in this region. Lake Wener, which receives the 
waters of eighty rivers large and small, has an area of 
twenty-four hundred square miles, being nearly ten 
times as large as the famous Lake of Geneva. Lakes 
Wetter and Maelaren are the next in importance, either 
of which is fully twice the size of the Swiss lake just 
named. The canal proper — that is, the portion which 
has been artificially constructed — is ten feet deep, fifty 
wide at the bottom, and ninety at the surface. Two 
hundred and seventy miles of the route traversed by 
the vessels navigating the canal between Gottenburg 
and Stockholm are through lakes and rivers, all of 
which are remarkable for their clear spring-like char- 
acter and the picturesqueness of their surroundings. 
Stockholm is situated on the Maelaren lake, where it 
finds an outlet into the Baltic. This large body of 
water is studded all over with islands of every form 
and size, on some of which are quaint old castles, mys- 
terious ruins, and thick woods, haunted only by those 
rovers of the sky, the eagle and the hawk. Others 
are ornamented by charming villas, surrounded by fine 
landscape gardening, with graceful groves of drooping 
willows and birch-trees. Some contain only fisher- 
men's huts, while here and there clusters of their small 
cottages form an humble village. The marine shells 
which are found in the bottom of some of the inland 
lakes of both Norway and Sweden show that the 



52 DUE NORTH. 

land which forms their bed was once covered by the 
sea. This is clearly apparent in Lake Wener and Lake 
Wetter, which are situated nearly three hundred feet 
above the present ocean level. The first-named body 
of water is some eighty miles long by a width of thirty. 
The latter is as long, but averages only ten miles in 
width. Complete skeletons of whales have been found 
far inland, at considerable elevations, during the pres- 
ent century. The oldest shell-banks discovered by 
scientists in Scandinavia are situated five hundred feet 
above the present level of the ocean. How significant 
are these deposits of a prehistoric period ! 

Sweden has comparatively few mountains, but many 
ranges of hills. Norway monopolizes almost entirely 
the mountain system of the great northern peninsula ; 
but the valuable large forests of pine, fir, and birch 
which cover so much of the country are common to 
both. Though iron is found in large deposits in Nor- 
way, it is still more abundant in Sweden, where it is 
chiefly of the magnetic and haematite character, yield- 
ing when properly smelted the best ore for the manu- 
facture of steel. It is believed that there is sufficient 
malleable and ductile iron in the soil of Sweden to 
supply the whole world with this necessary article for 
a thousand years to come. Mount Gellivare, which is 
over eighteen hundred feet in height, is said to be 
almost wholly formed of an ore containing fully 
eighty per cent of the best quality of merchantable 
iron; so that a dearth of this mineral is certainly 
not imminent. 



PLEASANT EPISODE WITH CHILDREN. 53 

But let us not wander too far from our course due 
north. Nor are we yet quite ready to depart from 
Gottenburg. While strolling alone through its broad 
and pleasant avenues, the writer met a couple of girls 
of about eleven and twelve years respectively. They 
were evidently sisters, and they looked so bright and 
so pleasantly into the stranger's face that he addressed 
them in the few native words at his command. That 
we were a foreigner was at once realized, and the eld- 
est asked from whence we came. So much could be 
understood, and happily the name America was plain 
enough to them. It acted like a charm upon them, 
lighting up their soft blue eyes and wreathing their 
lips with smiles, while it also elicited their confidence. 
Each put a tiny hand within our own, and thus escorted 
we passed along until the nearest confectioner's shop 
was reached. Here we met upon terms where panto- 
mime was quite sufficiently expressive, and we were 
soon engaged in partaking gleefully of bon-bons, cakes, 
and cream. What a merry half hour we three passed 
together, and how rapidly the time flew ! Was real 
pleasure ever more cheaply purchased than at the 
moderate price demanded by the shop-keeper, who 
placed a little packet of sweets in each of the chil- 
dren's hands as we parted ? On passing out upon the 
avenue we came full upon a person who was all aston- 
ishment and courtesy combined. It was Rend, our 
Danish courier. " I did not think, sir," he said, " that 
you knew any one in Gottenburg." " You were right, 
Rend," was the reply, " but these little fairies took 



54 DUE NORTH. 

possession of us, and we have had a delightful half 
hour together." Then both of the children began to 
speak to him at the same time, and he to reply to 
them. It was soon made apparent why they should so 
have affiliated with and trusted a stranger. They 
understood that the writer was from America, where 
in the State of Pennsylvania they had a well-beloved 
brother. It seemed to the dear little blondes that 
we must have come as it were direct from him. On 
parting, a kiss was pressed upon the innocent lips 
of each of the children, while tremulous tears were 
only too obvious in the sweet, sympathetic eyes of 
the elder. 

We were told of a rather curious system which orig- 
inated here of controlling the liquor traffic, and which 
has long been in successful operation. 

It appears that a certain number of shops only are 
licensed for the sale of pure, unadulterated spirits, 
wine, and beer within the town, and none others are 
permitted to engage in the business. These licensed 
establishments are all in the hands of an incorporated 
company, whose members are content to take five per 
cent per annum upon their invested capital, handing 
over the surplus to the town treasury, the sum thus 
received being appropriated towards reducing the regu- 
lar tax-rates imposed upon the citizens. The mana- 
gers of these shops where liquor is sold have fixed 
salaries, not at all contingent upon the profits realized 
from the business, and therefore they have no induce- 
ment to urge customers to drink. We saw scarcely 



AN ANTE-PRANDIAL CUSTOM. 55 

any indications of intemperance here, and were assured 
by an intelligent resident that there had been much 
less drunkenness since this system had been adopted 
twelve years ago. As will be readily conceived, there 
is now a smaller number of dram-shops opened to 
tempt the weak. It is only too true that the " means 
to do ill deeds makes ill deeds done." 

There is here also a system in operation designed 
to supply workingmen and persons of humble means 
with permanent dwelling-houses, — with homes which 
they may own. Comfortable brick houses are erected 
with all reasonable accommodations, and a title is 
made out to the would-be owner, he paying for the 
same by a small monthly instalment, until finally he 
owns the establishment. This being a philanthropic 
object, no profit above actual cost is designed to be 
realized by the promoters. The moral effect of the 
plan is excellent, leading to a sense of responsibility 
and economy among a class which is only too prone 
to expend its earnings for drink, or to fritter them 
away without realizing an equivalent. 

It was found that the people in their domestic 
establishments had an odd way of prefacing their 
family meals ; namely, partaking of raw salted sal- 
mon, smoked herring, chipped beef, and pickles of 
various kinds, which they washed down with one or 
two wine-glasses of strong spirit. It seemed to be an 
obvious inconsistency of purpose. This ceremony 
takes place at a side-table just before sitting down to 
the regular meal, be it breakfast, luncheon, or dinner. 



56 DUE NORTH. 

This custom was noticed afterwards at various places 
in Scandinavia as well as in Russia, the practice in 
the latter country being universal in hotels and pri- 
vate houses ; but it seemed obvious to us that it was 
only an excuse for dram-drinking as an appetizer. 
Bad habits are easily acquired, and soon make slaves 
of their incautious victims. More than one person 
admitted to us in Russia that without this preliminary 
tipple, dinner to them would have no relish. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Capital of Norway. — A Grand Fjord. — A Free and Independent 
State. — The Legal Code. — Royal Palace and Gardens* — Oscar's 
Hall. — The University. — Public Amusements. — The Ice Trade. — 
Ancient Viking Ships. — Heathen Tombs. — An Interesting Hos- 
telry. — A Steam Kitchen. — Environs of Christiania. — Horses 
and their Treatment. — Harvest Time. — Women's Work. — The 
Sseter. — A Remarkable Lake. — Wild Birds. — Inland Travel. — 
Scandinavian Wild Flowers. — Lonely Habitations. — A Land of 
Alpine Heights. 

In approaching the capital of Norway by sea from 
Gottenburg, the Christiania fjord is ascended for a dis- 
tance of seventy miles to its head, bordered on either 
side nearly the whole way by finely-wooded hills, and 
its surface dotted by emerald isles reflected in the 
deep mirror-like waters. It must be understood that 
a fjord is not a sound, nor is it a thoroughfare in the 
full sense of that word ; it is a cut de sac This of 
Christiania at its debouchure is just fifteen miles in 
width, and like many other Norwegian fjords is much 
deeper than the sea beyond its mouth. The entrance 
is marked by a powerful and lofty lighthouse on the 
island of Fserder. The ancient citadel of Akershus, 
built upon a bold and rocky promontory some six hun- 
dred years ago, commands the approach to the city. 
In this curious old fortification are kept the regalia 
and national records, the tree-adorned ramparts serving 



58 DUE NORTH. 

as a pleasant promenade for the public. One is 
often reminded while sailing upon Norwegian fjords 
of the Swiss lake-scenery. This leading to the capi- 
tal is not unlike Lake Geneva in the vicinity of Yevay 
and Chillon, except that it is bolder in its immediate 
shores and is also broader and deeper than Lake 
Leman. The city, which is built upon a gradual slope 
facing the south, is seen to good advantage from the 
harbor. No more appropriate spot could have been 
selected for the national capital by Christian IV., who 
founded it, and after whom it is named, than the head 
of this beautiful elongated bay. An ancient town 
named Oslo occupied the site in the middle of the 
eleventh century. It is the seat of the Storthing, or 
Parliament ; and the King, whose permanent residence 
is at Stockholm, is expected to reside here, attended 
by the court, at least three months of the year. With 
its immediate suburbs, the population of the city is 
a hundred and twenty-five thousand. It should be 
remembered that Norway is a free and independent 
State, though it is under the crown of Sweden, and 
that the people are thoroughly democratic, having 
abolished all titles of nobility by enactment of the 
Storthing (Great Court) so early as 1821, at which 
time a law was also passed forbidding the King to 
create a new nobility. Nevertheless, the thought oc- 
curs to us here that these Northmen, who overran and 
conquered the British Isles, founded the very nobility 
there which is the present boast and pride of England. 
We find some problems solved in Norway which have 



THE LEGAL CODE OF NORWAY. 59 

created political strife elsewhere. Though its Church 
is identical with the State, unlimited toleration ex- 
ists. There is also a perfect system of political rep- 
resentation, and while justice is open to one and all, 
litigation is sedulously discouraged. The meetings of 
the Storthing are quite independent of the King, not 
even requiring a writ of assemblage from him. Thus 
it will be seen that though nominally under despotic 
rule, Norway is really self-governed. 

The legal code of Norway is well worthy of study, 
both on account of its antiquity and its admirable pro- 
visions. The old sea-kings, or free-booters as we have 
been accustomed to consider them, had a more ad- 
vanced and civilized code than any of the people whose 
shores they devastated. Before the year 885 the 
power of the law was established over all persons of 
all ranks, while in the other countries of Europe the 
independent jurisdiction of the feudal lords defied the 
law until centuries later. Before the eleventh century 
the Scandinavian law provided for equal justice to all, 
established a system of weights and measures, also one 
for the maintenance of roads and bridges, and for the 
protection of women and animals, — subjects which no 
other European code at that time embraced. These 
laws were collected into one code 'by Magnus VII. 
about the year 1260. They were revised by Christian 
IV. in 1604, and in 1687 the present system was drawn 
up. So simple and compact is it that the whole is 
contained in a pocket volume, which is in the posses- 
sion of every Norwegian family. Each law occupies 



60 DUE NORTH. 

but a single paragraph, and all is simple and intelli- 
gible. Speaking of these early law-makers (as well 
as law-breakers!) Carlyle says: "In the old Sea- 
Kings, what an indomitable energy ! Silent, with 
closed lips, as I fancy them, unconscious that they 
were specially brave ; defying the wild ocean with its 
monsters, and all men and things ; progenitors of our 
Blakes and Nelsons ! " 

The Royal Palace of Christiania is pleasantly situ- 
ated on an elevated site, the highest ground in fact 
within the city, surrounded by an open park contain- 
ing miniature lakes, canals, and groves of charming 
trees. The park is called the Royal Gardens, which 
are always open to the public. Fronting the palace is 
an admirable equestrian statue in bronze of the citizen 
King Bernadotte, who ascended the throne of Sweden 
under the name of Carl Johan XIV., and it bears his 
consistent motto : " The people's love is my reward." 
The palace is a large plain edifice of brick, quadran- 
gular in shape and painted a dull ugly yellow, with a 
simple portico. It was erected within the last fifty 
years, and looks externally like a huge cotton-factory. 
The Queen's apartments are on the ground floor and 
are very beautifully furnished, especially the White 
Saloon, so called. Above these are the King's apart- 
ments, embracing the usual variety of state halls, 
audience chambers, reception rooms and the like, 
plainly and appropriately furnished. The palace con- 
tains some of Tidemand's best pictures. There is 
also a royal villa called Oscar's Hall, situated in the 



OSCAR'S HALL. 61 

immediate environs on the peninsula of Ladegaardsoen, 
less than three miles from the city proper. It is a 
Gothic structure amid the woods, eighty feet above the 
level of the waters of the harbor which it overlooks. 
Oscar Hall, with its one castellated tower, is scarcely 
more than a shooting-box in size, though it is dignified 
with the name of palace. The grounds are wild and 
irregular, covered mostly with a fine growth of trees, 
mingled with which the mountain ash was conspicu- 
ous with its clusters of berries in royal scarlet. The 
air was full of the fragrance of the lily-of-the-valley, 
which lovely little flower grows here after its own 
sweet will in rank profusion. There are a few choice 
paintings in the Hall, especially some admirable pan- 
els by Tidemand representing scenes in Norwegian 
peasant life, and called " The Age of Man from the 
cradle to the grave." There are also, we feel con- 
strained to say, some very poor pictures on the walls 
of Oscar's Hall. In the garden near the villa were 
many familiar flowers in a thrifty condition, such as 
lilacs, white and scarlet honeysuckles, sweet peas, 
yellow tiger-lilies and peonies, besides some curious 
specimens of cacti and a wonderfully fragrant bed 
of low-growing mignonette. It was singular to see 
flowers and fruits which with us have each their 
special season, here hastening into bloom and ripe- 
ness all together. 

The streets of the city are quite broad, most of them 
running at right angles with each other. The houses 
are generally of brick, stuccoed, though there are 



62 DUE NORTH. 

some of stone, and all have the effect of stone struc- 
tures. There was once a richly endowed cathedral 
here, where James I. of England was married to 
Anne of Denmark in 1589, but it was destroyed by 
fire, which element has completely devastated the 
place at different periods, so that the present aspect 
is one of a substantial modern character. The old 
wooden houses have almost entirely disappeared. The 
present cathedral is in the shape of a Greek cross, but 
it is of no special interest. Over the altar is a paint- 
ing by a German artist representing our Saviour in the 
Garden of Gethsemane, a work of much more than 
ordinary merit. The inhabitants of Christiania are 
almost exclusively Protestants. 

The University founded by Frederick VI. in 1811 
is a plain but massive structure, the front ornamented 
with Corinthian pillars of polished red granite. It 
accommodates at the present writing some nine hun- 
dred students, the tuition being free to all native ap- 
plicants suitably prepared ; it contains also a noble 
library of over two hundred thousand volumes, besides 
many manuscripts of inestimable value. The library 
is freely open even to strangers under very simple 
restrictions. The University also contains an exten- 
sive Museum of Zoology and Geology, which in the 
departments of the bronze and iron periods excels 
even the admirable one at Copenhagen. Christiania 
has a Naval, a Military, and an Art school, a Lunatic 
Asylum, an Astronomical Observatory, and various 
charitable institutions ; nor should we forget to men- 



THE CITY OF CHRISTIANIA. 63 

tion its admirably conducted Botanical Garden situ- 
ated about a mile from the town, containing among 
other interesting varieties a very finely-arranged col- 
lection of Alpine plants from Spitzbergen and Iceland. 
The town has its Casino, Tivoli, or whatever we 
please to call it ; the good citizens here have named 
it the Klinkenberg. It is a place of out-door amuse- 
ment for old and young, where grown up children 
ride wooden-horses and participate in childish games 
with apparently as much zest as the little ones. Here 
we found peep-shows, pistol-galleries, Russian slides, 
a small theatre, and cafes where were dispensed beer, 
music, and Swedish punch, — this last very sweet and 
very intoxicating ! The acrobat, with his two small 
boys in silver-spangles and flesh-colored tights, was 
present and especially active, besides the conventional 
individual who eats tow and blows fire from his mouth. 
On the occasion of our visit the last named individual 
came to grief, and burned his nether lip severely. 

The commerce of Christiania is increasing annually. 
Over two thousand vessels were entered at its cus- 
tom house during the year 1885. There are regular 
lines of steamers established between here and Lon- 
don, Hull, Glasgow, Copenhagen, and other ports, 
which transact a large amount of business in the 
freight department, with a considerable incidental 
passenger trade. The harbor is frozen over at least 
three months of the year, though that of Hammerfest, 
situated a thousand miles farther north on the coast 
of Norway, is never closed by ice, owing to the genial 



64 DUE NORTH. 

influence of the Gulf Stream, — an agent so potent as 
to modify the temperature of the entire coast of Scan- 
dinavia on its western border. Wenham Lake Ice, 
which was originally and for some years shipped from 
Massachusetts to England, now comes direct from 
the Christiania fjord ! An English company has long 
owned a lake near Drobak, which yields them an 
ample supply of ice annually. The London ice-carts 
still bear the name of u Wenham Lake," but the ice 
comes from Norway. We were told that the quan- 
tity shipped for use in England increases yearly 
as ice grows to be more and more of a domestic 
necessity. 

The Storthing's Hus is quite a handsome and impos- 
ing building, of original design in the Romanesque and 
Byzantine style, facing the Carl Johannes Square, the 
largest open area in the city. It was finished and 
occupied in 1866. The Market Place is adorned 
with a marble statue of Christian IV. Another fine 
square is the Eidsvolds Plads, planted with choice 
trees and carpeted with intensely bright greensward. 
The chief street is the Carl Johannes Gade, a broad 
boulevard extending from the railroad station to the 
King's Palace, half way between which stands the 
imposing structure of the University. Opposite this 
edifice is the Public Garden, where an out-door con- 
cert is given during the summer evenings by a mili- 
tary band. In a large wooden building behind the 
University is kept that great unrivalled curiosity, the 
Viking ship, a souvenir of more than nine hundred 



AN ANCIENT VIKING SHIP. 65 

years ago. The blue clay of the district where it was 
exhumed in 1880, a few miles south from Christiania 
at Gokstad, has preserved it nearly intact. The men 
who built the graceful lines of this now crumbling 
vessel, " in some remote and dateless day," knew 
quite as much of the principles of marine architecture 
as do our modern shipwrights of to-day. This inter- 
esting relic, doubtless the oldest ship in the world, 
once served the Yikings, its masters, as a war-craft. 
It is eighty feet long by sixteen wide, and is about 
six feet deep from gunwale to keel. Seventy shields, 
spears, and other war equipments recovered with 
the hull show that it was designed for that number 
of fighting men. A curious thrill is felt by one 
while regarding these ancient weapons and armor, 
accompanied by a wish that they might speak and 
reveal their long-hidden story. In such vessels as 
this the dauntless Northmen made voyages to every 
country in Europe, and as is confidently believed they 
crossed the Atlantic, discovering North America cen- 
turies before the name of Columbus was known. Ig- 
noring the halo of romance and chivalry which the 
poets have thrown about the valiant Vikings and 
their followers, one thing we are compelled to admit : 
they were superb marine architects. Ten centuries 
of progressive civilization have served to produce 
none better. Some of the arts and sciences may and 
do exhibit great progress in excellence, but shipbuild- 
ing is not among them. We build bigger but not 
better vessels. This ancient galley of oak, in the 

5 



66 DUE NORTH. 

beauty of its lines, its adaptability for speed, and its 
general sea-worthiness, cannot be surpassed by our 
best naval constructors to-day. An American naval 
officer who chanced to be present with the author, 
declared that there were points about this exhumed 
vessel which indicated retrogression rather than pro- 
gress on the part of modern builders of sea-going 
craft. The bent timbers on the inside are of natural 
growth, the sheathing boards are an inch and a half 
in thickness, firmly riveted, the iron bolts clinched on 
either end. Near the gunwales the bolts are of oak. 
The planking slightly overlaps, being bevelled for the 
purpose ; that is, the hull is what we technically call 
clinker-built, and would probably draw about four feet 
of water in a sea-going trim. The bow and stern are 
of the same pointed shape, and rise a considerable dis- 
tance above the waist, giving the vessel what sailors 
term a deep sheer inboard. 

The burial of this ship so many centuries ago was 
simply in accordance with the custom of those days. 
When any great sea-king perished, he was enclosed in 
the cabin of his galley, and either sunk in the ocean or 
buried with his vessel and all of its war-like appoint- 
ments upon the nearest suitable spot of land. In 
this instance, as has been intimated, weapons of war 
were buried with the deceased, just as our Indian 
tribes of western America do to this day. Tombs 
dating much farther back than the period when this 
sepulchral ship was buried have been opened in both 
Norway and Sweden, showing that the dead were 



ANCIENT TOMBS AND BURIAL RITES. 67 

sometimes burned and sometimes buried in coffins. 
The cinerary urns were usually found to have been 
either of terra-cotta or of bronze, — seldom, however, 
of the latter material. In these tombs trinkets and 
weapons were also discovered, with the skeletons of 
horses and other domestic animals. To the period of 
these burials belong the earliest Runic inscriptions, 
differing materially from those which were in use a 
few centuries later. One may believe much or little 
of the extravagant stories handed down by tradition 
concerning these ancient Scandinavians, but certainly 
we have tangible evidence in these tombs that some 
of the legends are literally true. We are told that 
when a chieftain died in battle, not only were his war- 
horse, his gold and silver plate, and his money placed 
upon his funeral pyre, but that a guard of honor from 
among his followers slew themselves, that he might 
enter the sacred halls of Odin properly attended. The 
more elevated the chief the larger was the number 
who must sacrifice themselves as his escort to the 
land of bliss. So infinite was the reliance of the 
Heathen horde in their strange faith, that, far from 
considering their fate to be a hard one, they adopted 
its extremest requirements with songs of joy ! 

A general aspect of good order, thrift, industry, 
and prosperity prevails at Christiania. The simplicity 
of dress and the gentle manners, especially among the 
female portion of the community, were marked fea- 
tures. No stranger can fail to notice the low, sym- 
pathetic tones in which the women always speak ; but 



68 DUE NORTH. 

though decorous and worthy, it must be admitted that 
the Norwegian ladies are not handsome. The people 
resort to the ramparts of the old castle as a prome- 
nade, with its grateful shade of lime-trees, and they 
also throng the pleasant Central Park near the Royal 
Palace. One sees here none of the rush and fever 
of living which so wearies the observer in many of 
the southern cities of Europe, — notably in Paris, Lon- 
don, and Vienna. The common people evince more 
solidity of character with less of the frivolities, and 
yet without any of the frosty chill of Puritanism. 
They may be said to be a trifle slow and phlegmatic, 
but by no means stupid. The most careless school- 
boy when addressed by a stranger in the street in- 
stantly removes his hat, and so remains until he has 
fully responded to the inquiry made of him, showing 
thus the instinctive politeness which seems to perme- 
ate all classes in Norway. 

The long-established Hotel Victoria is an interest- 
ing hostelry and museum combined, at least so far as 
ornithology is concerned. Its stuffed varieties of na- 
tive birds disposed in natural positions here and there 
about the establishment, would prove the envy of any 
collector in this department of natural history. The 
house is built about a spacious court, which is partly 
occupied by a broad and lofty marquee or tent, under 
which the table d'hote is served. Orange-trees and 
tropical plants are gracefully disposed, and creeping 
vines give a sylvan appearance to the court. The 
whole area is overlooked by an open and spacious 



A STEAM KITCHEN. 69 

balcony, where a band of musicians during the season 
dispense enlivening music. Tame sparrows and other 
birds hop about one's feet during each meal, even 
alighting upon the chairs and tables to share tid-bits 
with the guests. The whole formed a consistent pur- 
pose well carried out, and was entirely unlike any 
hotel whose hospitality we have shared. There are 
three or four excellent public houses besides the Vic- 
toria, including the Grand Hotel and the Scandinavia, 
the last two quite centrally located. We made our 
temporary home at the Grand, a spacious and com- 
fortable establishment. 

There is an original institution of a charitable 
nature in the capital, called a Steam Kitchen, where 
food is cooked upon a large scale, and entirely by 
steam. This large establishment, situated on the 
Torv Gade, was built especially for the purpose of 
benefiting the industrious poor of the city. Here 
two or three thousand persons are daily provided with 
good wholesome dinners at a minimum charge, cal- 
culated to cover the actual cost. While hundreds of 
persons carry away food to their families, larger num- 
bers dine at the neat tables provided in the establish- 
ment for that purpose. The inference drawn from a 
casual observation of the system was, that no possible 
benevolence of a practical character could be better 
conceived or more judiciously administered. It seemed 
to be the consummation of a great charity, robbed of 
all objectionable features. None appeared to feel 
humiliated in availing themselves of its advantages, 



TO DUE NORTH. 

since all the supposed cost of the provisions was 
charged and paid for. 

Upon visiting a new city in any part of the world, 
the writer has learned more of its people, their na- 
tional characteristics and all local matters worth 
knowing, by mingling with the throng, watching their 
every-day habits and conventionalities, observing and 
analyzing the stream of life pouring through its great 
thoroughfares, reading the expression upon human 
faces, and by regarding now and again chance domes- 
tic scenes, than from all the grand cathedrals, art 
galleries, show palaces, and guide-books combined. 
Years of travel fatigue one with the latter, but never 
with Nature in her varying moods, with the peculiar- 
ities of races, or with the manners and customs of 
every-day life as characterizing each new locality and 
country. The delight in natural objects grows by ex- 
perience in every cultivated and receptive mind. The 
rugged architecture of lofty mountains, tumbling water- 
falls, noble rivers, glowing sunsets, broad land and sea 
views, each has a special, never-tiring, and impressive 
individuality. While enjoying a bird's-eye view of 
Christiania from the height of Egeberg, a well-wooded 
hill four hundred feet in height in the southern sub- 
urb, it was difficult to believe one's self in Icelandic 
Scandinavia, — the precise latitude of the Shetland 
Islands. A drowsy hum like the drone of bees seemed 
to float up from the busy city below. The beautiful 
fjord with its graceful promontories, its picturesque 
and leafy isles, might be Lake Maggiore or Como, so 



ENVIRONS OF CHRISTIAN1A. 71 

placid and calm is its pale-blue surface. Turning the 
eyes inland, one sees clustered in lovely combination 
fields of ripening grain, gardens, lawns, cottages, and 
handsome villas, like a scene upon the sunny shores 
of the Mediterranean near the foot-hills of the Mari- 
time Alps. An abundance of deciduous trees enliven 
the scene, — plane, sycamore, ash, and elm in luxuri- 
ant foliage. Warmer skies during the summer period 
are not to be found in Italy, nor elsewhere outside of 
Egypt. As we stood upon the height of Egeberg that 
delicious sunny afternoon, there hung over and about 
the Norwegian capital a soft golden haze such as 
lingers in August above the Venetian lagoons. 

The houses in the vicinity of Christiania are gen- 
erally surrounded by well-cultivated gardens embel- 
lished with choice fruit and ornamental trees. An 
unmistakable aspect of refinement was obvious about 
these homesteads, and one would fain have known 
somewhat of the residents of such attractive domiciles. 
The traveller who passes so few days in each new city, 
and those occupied mostly in observations of a different 
character, can hardly pretend to express an opinion 
of the resident social life and domestic associations ; 
but we were credibly informed that there was no 
dearth of circles composed of intelligent, polished, 
and wealthy individuals in Bergen, Gottenburg, or 
Christiania. Evidences of the truth of this are cer- 
tainly obvious to the most casual observer. Here, 
and afterwards still farther north, a tree new to us 
was found, called the Hagg (Primus Padus), so 



72 DUE NORTH. 

abundantly clothed in snow-white blossoms as to en- 
tirely hide its leaves of green. It generally stood in 
the yards of dwelling-houses as a floral ornament, 
and reminded one of a New England apple-tree in 
full bloom. The blossoms emitted very little decided 
perfume, but the luxuriant growth and the pure white 
flower were very beautiful. A dainty bit of color now 
and again, caused by the single-leafed dog-rose, re- 
called the inland roads of far-off Massachusetts, where 
mingled blackberry and raspberry bushes and wild 
roses so often line the quiet paths. The immediate 
environs of the capital are characterized by fine pictur- 
esque elevations, the land rising gradually on all sides 
until it becomes quite Alpine. The forest road lead- 
ing towards Rynkan Falls was fragrant with the soft, 
soothing odor of pines and firs, mingled with that of 
blue, pink, and yellow flowers, blossoms whose local 
names only served to puzzle us, — " wee, modest, 
crimson-tipped flowers." The giant larkspur, lilies-of- 
the-valley, and some orchids were familiar, and greeted 
the senses like old friends. The juniper bushes were 
luxuriant, and there were plenty of bilberries and wild 
strawberries in bloom. These last berries when ripe, 
as we afterwards found them farther north, are a 
revelation to the palate, being quite small, but of ex- 
quisite flavor, recalling the tiny wood-strawberries 
of New England, which were of such exquisite flavor 
and dainty aroma before we cultivated them into mon- 
strosities. The summer is so short here as to give 
the fruits and flowers barely time to blossom, ripen, 



RAPID GROWTH OF VEGETATION. 73 

and fade, or the husbandman a chance to gather his 
harvest. Vegetation is wonderfully rapid in its 
growth, the sunshine being so nearly constant during 
the ten weeks which intervene between seed-time and 
harvest. Barley grows here two and a half inches 
and peas three inches in twenty-four hours, for sev- 
eral consecutive days. It is an interesting fact that 
if the barley-seed be brought from a warmer climate 
it requires to become acclimated, and does not yield 
a good crop until after two or three seasons. The 
flowers of the torrid and temperate zones as a rule 
close their eye-lids like human beings, and sleep a 
third or half of the twenty-four hours ; but in Arctic 
regions life to these lovely children of Nature is one 
long sunny period, and sleep comes only with death 
and decay. It was also observed that the flowers 
here assume more vivid colors and emit more fra- 
grance during their brief lives than in the south. 
The long delightful period of twilight during the 
summer season is seen here in all its perfection, full 
of suggestiveness and roseate loveliness, which no pen 
can satisfactorily describe. There is no dew to be en- 
countered and avoided, no dampness. All is crystal 
clearness and transparency, " gilding pale streams 
with heavenly alchemy." 

Nothing can be pleasanter or more exhilarating 
than driving over the Norwegian roads among the 
dark pine forests or by the side of dashing torrents 
and swift-gliding, seething rivers. The roads are 
kept in perfect condition upon all of the regular post- 



74 DUE NORTH. 

routes, and one rolls over them in the native carriole 
nearly as smoothly as though navigating a lake in a 
well-manned boat. The little horses, almost univer- 
sally of a dun-color and having their manes cropped 
short, are wiry and full of life and courage, dashing 
down the hills at a seemingly reckless pace, which 
carries the vehicle half way up the next rising ground 
by the mere impetus of the descent. It was particu- 
larly gratifying to observe the physical condition of 
the horses both inland and in the streets of Christi- 
ania, all being in good flesh. Not a lame or poor 
animal was to be found among them, either in hack, 
dray, or country-produce cart. They are mostly pony- 
shaped, rather short in the legs, few standing over 
fourteen hands, and generally even less ; but yet 
they are strong, tough, and round in form. It was 
pleasing to observe the drivers, who seemed also to 
be the owners, of these animals. When they came 
from the house or establishment where their business 
called them, they would often take some appetizing 
trifle from their pockets, — a small apple, a lump of 
sugar, or bit of bread, — and tender it to the waiting 
horse, who was evidently on the look-out for such a 
favor. The good fellowship established between the 
animal and his master was complete, and both worked 
the more effectively together. No observant person 
can fail to see what docility and intelligence kindness 
to any domestic animal is sure to elicit, while brutality 
and harshness induce only reluctant and inefficient 
service. If the whip is used at all upon these faithful 



AFFECTION FOR THE UNITED STATES. 75 

animals it must be very uncommon, since a watchful- 
ness in regard to the matter did not discover a single 
instance. When a driver has occasion to stop before 
a house and leave his horse, he takes one turn of the 
rein about the animal's near fore-foot and secures the 
long end loosely to the shaft. Custom has taught 
the horses that this process ties them to the spot, and 
they do not attempt to move away under any circum- 
stances. Insects during the brief but intense heat of 
summer are very troublesome to animals exposed to 
their bite, and so the Norwegian horses are all wisely 
permitted to wear long tails as a partial defence 
against flies and gnats. The price at which they are 
valued is very moderate. A nicely-matched pair, 
quite sound, young, and well broken for pleasure 
driving, can be purchased for three hundred dollars 
or less. 

Between Christiania and Stockholm the railroad 
follows almost a straight line due east across southern 
Norway and Sweden through a country dotted over 
with little hamlets of a dozen houses more or less, 
occupied by thrifty farmers. The people are of a 
social, kindly disposition, but to be known among 
them as an American insures instant service, together 
with unlimited hospitality. Nearly every family has 
one or more representatives living in the United 
States, and the very name of America is regarded by 
them with tenderness. A large percentage of the 
young people look forward to the time when they 
shall eventually make it their permanent home. 



76 DUE NORTH. 

Emigration is neither promoted nor discouraged by the 
Government. Norway seems generally to be more 
fertile than Sweden. True, she has her numerous 
mountains, but between them are far-reaching and 
beautiful valleys, while the sister country with less 
elevations has a soil of rather a sandy nature, much 
less productive. But intelligent farming overcomes 
heavy drawbacks ; and there are large tracts of land 
in Sweden that are rendered quite remunerative 
through the adoption of modern methods of cultiva- 
tion. Immediately about the railroad stations on all 
the Scandinavian railroads there are fine gardens, 
often ornamented with fountains, bird-houses, bloom- 
ing flowers, and miniature cascades. Some of the 
combinations of floral colors into graceful figures 
showed the hand of experienced gardeners. Most of 
these station-houses, all of which are constructed of 
wood, are extremely picturesque, built in chalet style, 
rather over-ornamented by fancy carvings and high 
colors, yet well adapted in the main for their special 
purpose. The Government owns and operates three 
quarters of all the railroads in either country, and 
will doubtless ere long, as we were assured, control the 
entire system. 

In the rural districts women are very generally em- 
ployed upon out-of-door work, as they are in Germany 
and Italy, and there is quite a preponderance of the 
sex in both Norway and Sweden. It was the haying 
and harvesting season when the author passed over 
the principal routes, and the fields showed four times 



WOMEN'S WORK. A SAETER. 77 

as many women as men engaged in mowing, reaping, 
loading heavy carts, and getting in the harvest gener- 
ally. What would our New England farmers think 
to see a woman swing a scythe all day in the hay- 
ing season, cutting as broad and true a swath as a 
man can do, and apparently with as little fatigue! 
Labor is very poorly paid ; forty cents per day is con- 
sidered liberal wages for a man except in the cities, 
where a small increase is realized upon this amount. 
The houses all through Norway outside of the towns 
are built of logs, well-matched and smoothly finished, 
laid horizontally one upon another, like our frontier 
cabins in the far West. Each farm, besides the home 
acres, has also connected with it what is termed a 
" saeter," being a tract of mountain pasture, where a 
portion of the young members of the family (usually 
the girls only) pass the nine or ten weeks of summer 
engaged in cheese-making, the cattle being kept on the 
hills for that period. Here a very rude hut with but 
two apartments serves for the girls, and a rough shed 
for the cattle at night. The outer apartment of the 
hut contains a stove, a table, and a coarse bed, forming 
the living-room, while the inner one is improved for the 
dairy. The available soil about the home farm in the 
valley must raise hay and grain for the long winter's 
use. After being milked in the morning, at the saeter, 
the cows, goats, and sheep go directly to their allotted 
feeding ground, perhaps more than a mile away, and 
at the evening hour they by themselves as surely 
return to be milked. The only inducement for such 



78 DUE NORTH. 

regularity on the part of the intelligent creatures, so 
far as we could understand, was a few handfuls of 
salt which was given them nightly, and of which they 
seemed to be very fond. Great exertion is made by 
the girls in the mountains to excel one another as to 
the aggregate production of cheese for the season, 
much pride being felt also in the quality of the article. 
The sturdy figures and healthy blooming faces of 
these girls, " with cheeks like apples which the sun 
has ruddied," showed what physical charms the bra- 
cing mountain air and a simple manner of life in these 
regions is capable of producing. 

Norway has been appropriately called the country 
of mountains and fjords, of cascades and lakes. 
Among the largest of the latter is Lake Mjosen, 
which is about sixty miles long and has an average 
width of twelve. It is certainly a very remarkable 
body of water. It receives into its bosom one impor- 
tant river, the Lougen, after it has run a course of 
nearly a hundred and fifty miles. At its southern 
extremity is the port of Eidsvold, and at the northern 
is Lillehammer. These are situated in the direct 
route between Christiania and Trondhjem. But the 
most singular fact attached to the lake is that it 
measures over fifteen hundred feet in depth, while 
its surface is four hundred feet above the level of the 
ocean. Its bottom is known to be nearly a thousand 
feet below that of the North Sea, which would seem 
to show that it must be the mouth of some long- 
extinct volcano. Neither glacial action nor any other 



THE FAUNA OF NORWAY. 79 

physical agent known to us can have dug an abrupt 
hole eight or ten hundred feet deep ; and yet there are 
also some dry valleys in Norway whose bottoms are 
considerably below that of the sea. The river Mesna 
tumbles boisterously into the lake close to Lilleham- 
mer. A walk beside its thickly-wooded banks brings 
to view many beautiful cascades and waterfalls, some 
of which are worthier of a visit than many of the 
more famous falls of Scandinavia. On all the im- 
portant inland routes not furnished with railroad or 
steamboat transit Government supports a system of 
postal service, whereby one can easily travel in almost 
any desired direction. On such excursions the keen 
air and free exercise are apt to endow the traveller 
with an excellent appetite, which Norwegian fare 
is not quite calculated to assuage. However, the 
milk is almost always good, and eggs are generally 
to be had. Even hard black bread will yield to a 
hammer, after which it can be soaked in milk and 
thus rendered eatable. One does not come hither 
in search of delicate and appetizing food, but rather 
to stand face to face with Nature in her wildest and 
most rugged moods. The pleasures of the table are 
better sought in the big capitals of southern Europe 
or America, where " rich food and heavy groans go 
together." 

As to the fauna of Norway, the reindeer, the bear, 
the wolf, the fox, and the lynx about complete the list 
of indigenous animals. The ubiquitous crow abounds ; 
and fine specimens of the golden eagle, that dignified 



80 DUE NORTH. 

monarch of the upper regions, may occasionally be 
seen sailing through the air from cliff to cliff, across 
the fjords and valleys. At certain seasons of the year 
this bird proves destructive to domestic fowls and 
young lambs. But we escaped in Norway the almost 
inevitable legend of a young child having been carried 
off by an eagle to its nearly inaccessible nest ; that 
story is still monopolized by Switzerland. For some 
reason not quite understood by the author, the mis- 
chievous magpie is here held as half sacred. That is 
to say, the country people have a superstition that any 
injury inflicted upon these birds entails misfortune 
upon him who causes it; and yet the Government 
offers a premium for their destruction. Magpies ap- 
pear to be as much of a nuisance in Norway as crows 
are in India or Ceylon, and to be quite as unmolested 
by the people generally. What are called the wild 
birds of Scandinavia are in fact remarkably tame, and 
they embrace a large variety. As the traveller pro- 
ceeds through the country, he will observe sheaves of 
unthrashed grain elevated upon poles beside the farm- 
houses and barns, which are designed to furnish the 
feathered visitors with food. These sheaves are regu- 
larly renewed all through the winter season ; otherwise 
the birds would starve. The confiding little creatures 
know their friends, and often enter the houses for pro- 
tection from the severity of the weather. Neither man, 
woman, nor child would think of disturbing them, for 
they are considered as bringing good luck to the prem- 
ises which they visit. The bounty paid for the destruc- 



SNOW-CAPPED MOUNTAINS. 81 

tion of bears and wolves in 1885 showed that nearly 
two hundred of each species of these animals were 
killed by the hunters. Bears are believed to be gradu- 
ally decreasing, but wolves are still very numerous in 
the northerly regions and the thickly-wooded middle 
districts. In extreme seasons, when pressed by 
hunger, they prove destructive to the reindeer herds 
of the Lapps in spite of every ordinary precaution, 
and even in the summer season farmers never leave 
their sheep unguarded when they are pastured away 
from the homestead. 

In journeying from the capital to Trondhjem 
(where the steamer is taken for the North Cape) by 
the way of Lillehammer, one crosses the Dovrefjeld, 
or mountain plateau ; but a more popular route is by 
rail from city to city. This fjeld lies a little above 
the sixty-second parallel of latitude, and is about one 
third of the distance from the southern to the northern 
extreme of the country, which reaches from the fifty- 
eighth to the seventy-first parallel. The famous eleva- 
tion called the Sneehaettan — " Snow Hat " — forms 
a part of this Alpine range, and is one of the loftiest 
in Norway, falling little short of eight thousand feet 
in altitude. To be exact, it ranks sixth among the 
Scandinavian mountains. It should be remembered 
that one eighth of the country lies within the region 
of perpetual snow, and that these lofty and nearly 
inaccessible heights are robed in a constant garb of 
bridal whiteness. No other part of Europe or any 
inhabited portion of the globe has such enormous 

6 



82 DUE NORTH. 

glaciers or snowfields, unless possibly some portions 
of Alaska. Here in Norway are glaciers which cover 
from four to five hundred square miles, descending 
from plateaus three and four thousand feet in height 
down to very near sea-level, as in the instance of the 
mammoth Svartisen glacier, which is visited by all 
travellers to the North Cape. Arctic and Alpine 
flowers abound in the region of the Dovrefjeld, — 
and glacial flowers are abundant, though not so much 
so as in the more frequently visited snow regions of 
Switzerland. As the ice and snow recede in the early 
summer, the plants spring up with magic promptness, 
so that within a few yards the same species are seen in 
successive stages of growth, spring and summer flow- 
ers blooming side by side in rather forced companion- 
ship. The blue gentians are extremely lovely, and are 
among the first to appear after the mantle of snow is 
lifted from the awaking earth. The most remarkable 
and abundant of the spring flowers however is the 
linncea borealis, thus appropriately named after the 
great Swedish botanist and naturalist. It is a long, 
low-creeping plant bearing a pink blossom, and is 
in full bloom early in July, luxuriating all over the 
Scandinavian peninsula. Harebells nodding upon 
their delicate stems, primroses, snowdrops, and small 
blue pansies are also common. In the southern 
districts roses of various species thrive in glorious 
profusion in the open air annually during the short 
genial period, and also as domestic favorites during 
the long night of winter, adorning and perfuming 



THE MOUNTAINS OF SCANDINAVIA. 83 

the living-rooms of the people of every class in town 
and country. 

Though the highest point in Norway or Sweden is 
only about eighty-five hundred feet above sea-level, 
an elevation which is reached only by the Jotunfjeld, 
or Giant Mountain, still no highlands in Europe 
surpass those of Scandinavia in terrific and savage 
grandeur, " rocked-ribbed and ancient as the sun." 
Mont Blanc is fully one third higher than this Giant 
Mountain, but being less abrupt is hardly so striking 
and effective in aspect. The grand elevations of 
Norway are intersected by deep dark gorges and 
fearful chasms, roaring with impetuous torrents and 
enormous waterfalls, and affording an abundance of 
such scenes as would have inspired the pencil of Sal- 
vator Rosa. The mountain system here does not 
form a continuous range, but consists of a succession 
of plateaus like the Dovrefjeld, and of detached moun- 
tains rising from elevated bases. The length of this 
series of peculiar elevations — mountains and plateaus 
— is that of the entire peninsula, from the North Cape 
to Christiansand on the Skager Rack, some twelve 
hundred miles, having an average width of about two 
hundred miles, — which gives to the mountains of 
Norway and Sweden an area larger than the Alps, the 
Apennines, and the Pyrenees combined, while the lakes, 
waterfalls, and cascades far surpass those of the rest 
of Europe. There is no other country where so large 
a portion is covered with august mountains .as in 
Norway. It includes an area of about one hundred 



84 DUE NORTH. 

and twenty-three thousand square miles ; and it has 
been said by those most familiar with its topography, 
that could it be flattened out it would make as large 
a division of the earth as would any of the four 
principal continents. The ratio of arable land to the 
entire area of Norway is not more than one to ten, 
and were it not that the support of the- people at large 
comes mainly from the sea, the country could not 
sustain one quarter of even its present sparse popula- 
tion. Undismayed by the preponderance of rocks, 
cliffs, and chasms, the people utilize every available 
rod of land. Here and there are seen wire ropes 
extending from the low lands to the mountain sides, 
the upper ends of which are lost to sight, and which 
are used for sliding down bundles of compressed hay 
after it has been cut, made, and packed in places 
whither only men accustomed to scale precipices 
could possibly climb. The aspect of such regions is 
severe and desolate in the extreme, even when viewed 
beneath the cheering smiles of a summer sun. What 
then must be their appearance during the long, trying 
winter of these hyperborean regions? In snug cor- 
ners, sheltered by friendly rocks and cliffs from the 
prevailing winds, are seen little clusters of cabins 
inhabited by a few lowly people who live in seeming 
content, and who rear families amid almost incredible 
deprivations and climatic disadvantages, causing one 
to wonder at their hardihood and endurance. It is 
not uncommon to see along the west coast of Nor- 
way, among the islands and upon the main-land, 



HOMES ON ALPINE HEIGHTS. 85 

farm-houses surrounded by a few low buildings of 
the rudest character, perched among rocks away up 
on some lofty green terrace, so high indeed as to make 
them seem scarcely larger than an eagle's nest. To 
anybody but a mountaineer these spots are positively 
inaccessible, and every article of subsistence, except 
what is raised upon the few acres of available earth 
surrounding the house, must be carried up thither 
upon men's backs, for not even a mule could climb to 
these regions. A few goats and sheep must consti- 
tute the entire animal stock which such a spot can 
boast, with perhaps a few domestic fowls. These 
dwellings have been constructed of logs cut in some 
of the sheltered gulches near at hand and drawn to 
the spot with infinite labor, one by one. It would 
seem that such persistent and energetic industry ap- 
plied in more inviting neighborhoods would have 
insured better results. What must life be passed in 
such an isolated, exposed place, in a climate where 
the ground is covered with snow for nine months of 
each year ! Some few of these eyries have bridle- 
paths leading up to them which are barely passable ; 
and yet such are thought by the occupants to be 
especially favored. 



CHAPTER V. 

Ancient Capital of Norway. — Koutes of Travel. — Rain ! — Peasant 
Costumes. — Commerce of Bergen. — Shark's vs. Cod Liver Oil. — 
Ship- Building. — Public Edifices. — Quaint Shops. — Borgund 
Church. — Leprosy in Norway. — Sporting Country. — Inland Ex- 
periences. — Hay-Making. — Pine-Forest Experiences. — National 
Constitution. — People's Schools. — Girls' Industrial School. — Cele- 
brated Citizens of Bergen. — Two Grand Norwegian Fjords. — 
Kemarkable Glaciers. 

Bergen is situated some two hundred miles north- 
west of Christiania, and may be reached from thence 
by a carriole journey across the country over excellent 
roads, or by steamboat doubling the Naze. The latter 
route, though three times as far, is often adopted by 
travellers as being less expensive and troublesome. 
Still another and perhaps the most common route tak- 
en by tourists is that by way of Lake Mjosen, Gjoveg, 
the Fillefjeld and Laerdalsoren, on the Sognefjord. 
This is called the Valders route, and affords by far the 
greatest variety of scenery. It involves railroad, 
steamer, and carriole modes of conveyance, and in all 
covers a distance of at least three hundred and fifty 
miles. It will be remembered that Bergen was the 
capital of Norway when it was under Danish rule, and 
was long afterwards the commercial rival of Christi- 
ania. Indeed, its shipping interests we were informed 



BERGEN. 87 

still exceed those of the capital, the verity of which 
statement one is inclined to question. The period of 
its greatest prosperity was in the Middle Ages and 
during the century when the great Hanseatic League 
flourished, at which time there was a numerous Ger- 
man colony resident here. The town appears very 
ancient, and naturally so, as it dates back to the 
eleventh century. Many of the dwellings are quaint 
with sharp-peaked roofs and gable-ends toward the 
streets. The boats which ply in the harbor and 
throng the wharves differ but little from the style of 
those used by the Norse pirates a thousand years ago, 
and who congregated in force about these very shores. 
The oldest part of the city lies on the eastern side of the 
harbor where the fortress of Bergenhuus and the double- 
towered Maria Kirke are situated. The inhabitants are 
not amphibious, but they certainly ought to be, since it 
rains here five days out of every seven. Some one has 
aptly called it the fatherland of drizzle, " where the 
hooded clouds, like friars, tell their beads in drops of 
rain." The first and foremost business of the place, 
therefore, is dealing in umbrellas and water-proof 
clothing. We did not observe any special crest as in- 
dicating the corporate arms of the city, but if such a 
design exists, it should be surmounted by a full-length 
figure of Jupiter Pluvius. We were assured that the 
rain-fall here averages six feet annually. There is a 
tradition of sunny days having occurred in Bergen, but 
much patience and long waiting are necessary to verify 
it. Still there is plenty of life and business activity 



88 DUE NORTH. 

in the broad clean streets, and more especially in and 
about the wharves and shipping. 

One sees here more of the traditional Norwegian 
costumes than are to be met with either at Gottenburg 
or Christiania. Some of the old men who came from 
the inland villages were particularly noticeable, form- 
ing vivid and artistic groups, with their long snowy 
hair flowing freely about face and neck in the most 
patriarchal fashion. They wore red- worsted caps, 
open shirt-collars, knee-breeches, and jackets and vests 
decked with a profusion of silver buttons, like a 
Basque postilion. The women wear black jackets, 
bright-red bodices and scarlet petticoats, with white 
linen aprons. On the street called the Strandgade 
many Norse costumes mingle together like colors in 
a kaleidoscope. Our guide pointed out one group, 
which was perhaps more strongly individualized than 
the rest, as coming from the Tellemark district. 
Various nationalities were also represented, not for- 
getting the despised and much persecuted Jews, who 
are nearly as unpopular in Scandinavia as they are in 
Germany and Russia. The Strandgade is the longest 
thoroughfare in the city, and runs parallel with the har- 
bor. By turning to the left after reaching the custom- 
house and passing up the rising ground, one reaches 
the Observatory, from whence a fine view of Bergen 
and its environs is obtained. The dusky red-tiled 
roofs crowded together, the square wooden towers of 
the churches mingled with the public gardens dressed 
in warmest verdure, form altogether a quaint and im- 



SHARK* S-LIVER OIL. 89 

pressive picture. The town rises from the bay nearly 
in the form of a crescent, nestling at the feet of the 
surrounding hills on the west coast of Norway, be- 
tween those two broad and famous arms of the sea, 
the Sognefjord and the Hardangerfjord. The first 
named indents the coast to a distance of one hundred 
and six miles, the latter seventy miles, — the first being 
north, and the last south of Bergen. The excellent 
situation of the harbor and its direct steam communi- 
cation with European ports give this ancient city an 
extensive commerce in proportion to the number of 
inhabitants, who do not aggregate more than forty 
thousand. A large portion of the town is built upon 
a promontory, and between it and the main-land on 
its north side is the harbor, which is rarely frozen 
over owing to the influence of the Gulf Stream, while 
the harbor of St. Petersburg, in about the same lati- 
tude, is annually closed by ice for at least three 
months. 

The staple commodity of Bergen is dried fish, mostly 
cod, supplemented by large quantities of cod-liver oil, 
lumber, and wood for fuel. It may not be generally 
known that a considerable portion of what is denom- 
inated cod-liver oil is produced from sharks' livers, 
which in fact are believed to be characterized by the 
same medicinal qualities as are those of the cod. At 
any rate, with this object sharks are sought for along 
the upper coast of Norway in the region of the Lofo- 
dens, and their livers are employed as described. An 
average-sized shark, we were told, will yield thirty 



90 DUE NORTH. 

gallons of good merchantable oil, but the article could 
not obtain a market except under the popular name of 
cod-liver oil. Catching the sharks is not an employ- 
ment entirely devoid of danger, as they are often found 
to be large and very powerful, measuring from twenty- 
five to thirty feet in length. The shark like the whale, 
when it is struck with the harpoon, must at first be 
given plenty of line or it will drag down the boat in its 
rapid descent to deep water. Sometimes the struggle 
to capture the fish is a long and serious one, as it must 
thoroughly exhaust itself before it will yield. When 
finally drawn to the side of the boat, a heavy well- 
directed blow upon the nose completely stuns the 
creature, and the capture is then complete. The 
diminution in the number of sharks upon the coast 
has led to a large natural increase in the number of 
herring, the catching of which forms a special and 
profitable branch of Norwegian industry. 

It is here at Bergen that the cargoes of fish caught 
on the coast at the far North and within the Arctic 
Circle are packed and reshipped to European ports. 
Lobsters are trapped in immense quantities just off the 
coast, whence the London market is mostly supplied. 
We were told that over two millions of this product 
were annually . exported to Great Britain. They are 
shipped alive to England, where owing to some attri- 
buted excellence they are specially favored above 
those coming from any other locality. The Fish Mar- 
ket is the great business centre of Bergen, situated 
at the end of the Torv, at a small pier called Trian- 



PUBLIC BUILDINGS IN BERGEN. 91 

gelen. The fish intended for local domestic use are 
kept alive in large tubs of water near the shore, and 
when desired by the purchaser are scooped out with a 
net, killed by a sharp blow upon the head, and sold by 
weight, the price being ridiculously low. Owing to its 
topographical character and location, Bergen will never 
become a railroad centre ; its principal trade will re- 
main in connection with the sea alone. Ship-build- 
ing is carried on here to a considerable extent. We 
saw one iron steamer which was constructed and 
equipped in this harbor ; and a finely finished craft 
she was, of over a thousand tons burden. There are 
some fine public squares, a People's Park, wherein 
a military band plays twice a week, half-a-dozen 
churches, a commodious Theatre, a Royal Palace, a 
Musical Institute, a Public Library, and a Museum ; 
but there is scarcely a trace of architectural beauty 
in all Norway with the exception of the cathedral at 
Trondhjem, which is formed of a mixture of orders, 
the Norman predominating. The Church of St. Mary 
is only interesting for its antiquity, dating as it does 
from the twelfth century. Its curious and grotesque 
fagade bears the date of 1118. 

A glance at the map will show the reader that Nor- 
way is broadest where a line drawn eastward from 
Bergen would divide it, giving a width of a little over 
two hundred and eighty miles, while the length of 
her territory is four times as great. The Gottenburg 
liquor-system, as it is called, has long been adopted 
in this city, and seems to operate as advantageously 



92 DUE NORTH. 

here as in the place of its origin. Nevertheless, the 
people are what we call in America hard drinkers, 
though little absolute drunkenness was observable. 
The quaint little shops of the town, which are slightly 
raised above the level of the street, have another and 
rather inferior class of stores under them, accessible 
by descending steps from the thoroughfare. This 
division of trade, by arranging a series of basement 
stores, is so common here as to form a feature of the 
town; and the same is observable in Copenhagen, 
where many jewelry, art, and choice retail stores are 
located in the basement of the houses, with an estab- 
lishment devoted to some other line of trade above 
them. The shops in Bergen are well filled with odd 
antique articles, mostly of domestic use, such as old 
plate-, drinking-cups, spoons, and silver goblets bear- 
ing the marks of age and the date of two or three 
centuries past. A little experience is apt to create 
considerable doubt in the minds of inquiring trav- 
ellers as to the genuineness of these articles, which, 
like those found in the odd curio shops of Japan, are 
very largely manufactured to order in this blessed 
year of our Lord, however they may be dated. 

The native jewelry is curious and some of it quite 
pretty, not for personal wear, but as a souvenir. Evi- 
dences of thrift and prosperity impress the stranger 
on every side, while extremes in the social condition 
of the people do not appear to exist. They are neither 
very rich nor very poor. There are no mendicants or 
idlers to be seen; all persons appear to have some 



THE ENVIRONS OF BERGEN 93 

legitimate occupation. One looks about in vain for 
any sign of the thirty-two churches and half-score of 
convents which history tells us once made of the 
place a noted religious centre and a Mecca for devo- 
tional pilgrims. The Cathedral of St. Olaf is vener- 
able, dating from 1248; but except its antiquity it 
presents nothing of special interest to the stranger. 
There are numerous handsome villas in the imme- 
diate environs, where some very creditable landscape 
gardening is to be seen, while the surrounding fields 
are clothed in emerald vegetation. Some new villas 
were observed in course of erection, but as we contin- 
ued our stroll the sterile and rocky hills which form 
the background to the picture of Bergen were soon 
reached. A favorite walk in the suburbs is to the 
Svartediket, a lake which supplies the city with water, 
pure and excellent. At Tjosanger, not far away, is 
one of the ancient wooden churches of the country, 
almost identical with the more noted one at Borgund. 
This queer old structure at the last named place now 
belongs to the Antiquarian Society of Christiania, and 
is very curious with its numerous gables, shingle- 
covered roofs, and walls surmounted with dragons' 
heads. It is strangely sombre, with its dark and win- 
dowless interior, but is the best preserved church of 
its kind in all Norway, dating as it does from the 
twelfth century. But we were speaking of the imme- 
diate environs of Bergen. About a mile outside of 
the city there is a leper hospital, devoted solely to the 
unfortunate victims of this terrible disease. Notwith- 



94 DUE NORTH. 

standing the persistent and scientific effort which has 
been made by the Government, still it seems extremely 
difficult to eradicate this dreaded pest from the coun- 
try. The too free use of fish as a food is thought by 
many to be a promoting cause of leprosy. Those who 
are affected by it are not permitted to marry if the 
disease has once declared itself ; so that as a heredi- 
tary affliction it is very properly kept in check. There 
are three hospitals set aside in the country for the 
exclusive treatment of those thus afflicted ; one is at 
Molde, one at Trondhjem, and the other we have men- 
tioned at Bergen. Physicians say that the disease is 
slowly decreasing in the number of its victims, and the 
patients now domiciled in the three districts amount to 
but fifteen hundred, equally divided among them. One 
mitigating feature of this loathsome affliction is the 
fact that it is not considered to be contagious; but 
those who inherit it can never escape its fatality. 

The country lying between Bergen and Christiania, 
and indeed nearly every part of Norway, presents great 
attractions to the angler, who must, however, go pre- 
pared to rough it; but if he be a true lover of the 
sport, this will enhance rather than detract from the 
pleasure. The country is sparsely inhabited, and 
affords only the rudest accommodations for the wan- 
dering pedestrian who does not confine himself to the 
regular post-routes. The innumerable lakes, rivers, 
and streams swarm with delicious fish, — trout, gray- 
ling, and salmon being the most abundant species 
of the finny tribe. Many Englishmen come hither 



IN FIELD AND FOREST. 95 

annually, attracted solely by this sport. The disciples 
of the rod who know these regions do not forget to 
bring with them ample protection against mosquitoes ; 
for these tiny creatures are in wonderful abundance 
during the summer season, dividing the mastership 
with that other Norwegian pest, the flea, who is here 
the acknowledged giant of his tribe. Hotel accom- 
modations even in Bergen are nothing to boast of. 
Every foreigner is supposed to be craving for salmon 
and reindeer meat, raw, smoked, pickled, or cooked. 

A drive of a few leagues inland upon the charm- 
ing roads in any direction will fill the stranger with 
delight, and afford characteristic pictures of great 
beauty. The farmers hang their cut grass upon 
frames of wood to dry, as we do clothes on washing- 
day. These frames are arranged in the mowing-fields 
in rows of a hundred feet in length, and are about 
five feet high. The effect in the haying season is 
quite striking and novel to the stranger. The agri- 
cultural tools used upon the farms are of the most 
primitive character; the ploughs are single-handed, 
and as awkward as the rude implement in use to-day 
in Egypt. The country houses are low, the roofs 
often covered with soil, and not infrequently rendered 
attractive with blooming heather and little blue-and- 
pink blossoms planted by Nature's hand, — the hiero- 
glyphics in which she writes her impromptu poetry. 
In the meadows between the hills are sprinkled hare- 
bells as blue as the azure veins on a lovely face ; 
while here and there patches of great red clover-heads 



96 DUE NORTH. 

are seen nodding heavily with their wealth of golden 
sweets. Farther away in solitary glens white anem- 
ones delight the eye, in company with ferns of trop- 
ical variety of form and color. The blossoms of the 
multebser, almost identical with that of the straw- 
berry, are also abundant. The humidity of the atmos- 
phere of the west coast, and especially in the latitude 
of Bergen, favors floral development. All through 
Scandinavia one meets these bright mosaics of the 
soil with a sense of surprise, they are so delicate, so 
frail, creations of such short life, yet lovely beyond 
compare, born upon the very verge of eternal frost. 
How Nature enters into our hearts and confides her 
amorous scents through winsome flowers ! In these 
rambles afield one meets occasionally a peasant, who 
bows low, removing his hat as the stranger passes. 
Without showing the servility of the common people 
of Japan, they yet exhibit all their native courtesy. 
Now and again the road passes through reaches of 
pine forest, still and aromatic, the soil carpeted with 
soft yellow fir-needles, where if one pauses to listen 
there comes a low, undefined murmur of vegetable 
and insect life, like the sound that greets the ear 
when applied to an empty sea-shell. Some wood- 
paths were found sprinkled with dog-violets and sax- 
ifrage, fragrant as Gan Eden ; others were daintily 
fringed with purple heart' s-ease, captivating in their 
sylvan loveliness. Of song-birds there were none ; 
and one could not but hunger for their delicious notes 
amid such suggestive surroundings. 



THE NORWEGIAN CONSTITUTION. 97 

English is very generally spoken by the merchants 
of Bergen, and may almost be said to constitute its 
commercial tongue. It is taught in all the " people's 
schools " as they are called, of which there are twenty 
supported by the town. In conversing with the citi- 
zens, they appear to be of more than average intelli- 
gence and liberal in opinions save for a few local 
prejudices. A Norwegian does not waste much love 
upon Sweden or its people. There is no bitterness 
expressed, but the two kingdoms united in one are 
still in a certain sense natural rivals. They are only 
combined to sustain their mutual political interests as 
it regards other nations. They have a saying at Ber- 
gen : " We love the English, and drink tea ; the 
Swedes love the French, and drink coffee." Still, it 
is so clearly for their national interest to remain 
united that there is no fear of their seriously falling 
out. The Norwegian constitution is perhaps as near 
an approach to a perfect democracy as can possibly 
be achieved under a constitutional monarchy. This 
constitution is of her own making. She has " home 
rule " in its fullest sense, with her own Parliament and 
ministers in all departments except that of foreign 
affairs. She has even her own excise, and her own 
taxation direct and indirect. She contributes five, 
and Sweden twelve, seventeenths of the support of 
the royal family. She furnishes her proper quota of 
soldiers and sailors for the army and navy. In short, 
she makes her own laws and appoints her own offi- 
cials to enforce them. No Swede holds any political 

7 



98 DUE NORTH. 

office in Norway. The constitution was proclaimed on 
the 4th of November, 1814. The whole of the legis- 
lative and part of the executive power of the realm 
is invested in the Storthing, which is an emanation 
from and the representative of the sovereign people. 
So limited is the power of the King that he can make 
no appointment to public office in Norway, and over 
the laws passed by the Storthing he has but a limited 
veto. That is to say, he may veto a bill ; but the pas- 
sage of it a second time, though it may be by only a 
bare majority, places it beyond his prerogative. 

There are a few Moravians settled in various parts 
of the country, but they are nowhere sufficiently 
numerous to establish organized congregations. The 
doctrine of Luther seems to be almost universally 
accepted, and appears to answer all the spiritual 
wants of the people. 

Strangers visit with more than passing interest the 
admirable free industrial school for girls which flour- 
ishes and does its grand work faithfully at Bergen. 
Here female children from eight to sixteen years of 
age are taught practically the domestic industries 
under circumstances robbed of every onerous regula- 
tion, and are to be seen daily in cheerful groups at 
work upon all sorts of garments, supervised by com- 
petent teachers of their own sex. Such a well-con- 
ducted and practical institution cannot but challenge 
the admiration of even comparatively indifferent per- 
sons. Possessed of all these prudential and educa- 
tional appreciations, it is not surprising that Bergen 



TWO NORWEGIAN FJORDS. 99 

has sent forth some eminent representatives in sci- 
ence, art, and literature. Among them the most 
familiar are perhaps Ole Bull, the famous musician ; 
Ludwig Holberg, the accomplished traveller; Johann 
Welhaven, the Norse poet ; and J. C. C. Dahl, the justly 
celebrated painter. 

We spoke of Bergen as situated on the west coast 
of Norway, between two of the most remarkable fjords 
in the country. The Hardanger richly repays a visit. 
The beauty, grandeur, and variety of its scenery is 
hardly surpassed in Scandinavia, which is so famous 
in these respects in all its parts. It is easily accessible 
from Bergen, as during the summer steamers sail 
thither three times a week, making the entire tour of 
the fjord. In many respects it resembles the Sogne- 
fjord. Though it is forty miles less in extent, it is 
yet the largest fjord in superficial measurement of 
any on the coast. Both are enclosed by rocky, pre- 
cipitous, and lofty mountains, ranging from three to 
four thousand feet in height, characterized by snow- 
clad tops of virgin white, mingled with which are 
many extensive glaciers. The Sognefjord is more 
especially important as a water-way extending from 
the sea over a hundred miles inland, and averaging 
over four miles in width, having in parts the remark- 
able depth of four thousand feet. At its upper 
extremity is situated the largest glacier in Europe. 
In the Hardangerfjord there are many pleasant and 
thrifty hamlets near the water's edge, while broad 
fields of grain, thickly growing woods, and acres of 



100 DUE NORTH. 

highly cultivated soil show a spirit of successful in- 
dustry seconded by the kindly aid of Nature. Wher- 
ever an opportunity occurs, the greensward springs 
up in such vivid color as to seem tropical, all the 
more intensified by its close proximity to the region 
of ceaseless frost. The traveller who is familiar with 
the Lake of Lucerne will be constantly reminded of 
that beautiful piece of land-locked water while sailing 
up either of these remarkable, grand, and interesting 
arms of the North Sea. So lofty are the mountains, 
and so abruptly do they rise out of the water at certain 
points, that while sailing near the shore within their 
deep shadow the darkness of night seems to encom- 
pass the vessel. If one has not time to go farther 
north in Norway, a visit to and careful inspection of 
these two extensive fjords will give a very good idea 
of the peculiarities of the entire coast. The grand 
fjords north of this point are none of them more ex- 
tensive, but some of the mountain scenery is bolder 
and many of the elevations greater ; the glaciers also 
come down nearer to the coast-line and to the sea. 

Let no one who tarries for a few days at Bergen 
fail to make an excursion to the Folgefonden, or Har- 
danger glaciers. Of course an experienced guide is 
necessary, as fatal accidents sometimes occur here, 
particularly after a fresh fall of snow which covers 
up the huge clefts in the ice. These glaciers .extend 
about forty miles in length by fifteen or twenty in 
width, here and there intersected by enormous chasms. 
Hunters and adventurous climbers have many times 



THE HARDANGER GLACIERS. 101 

disappeared down these abysses, never again to be 
seen or heard from. Bears and reindeer have also 
fallen into and perished in these clefts. Persons 
who explore these glaciers wear spiked shoes as a 
necessary precaution, and to aid them in creeping 
along the slippery, rubbled surface of the ice. With 
a proper guide and reasonable care, however, there is 
little danger to be apprehended, or at least no more 
than is encountered by climbers among the Swiss 
Alps. These glaciers, as we have shown, are not con- 
fined to the mountain regions and elevated plateaus, 
but extend gradually downward in their lower portions 
very near to the shore, where vegetation in strong 
contrast thrives close to their borders. Farther 
northward the glacial effects are bolder and more 
numerous ; but these accessible from Bergen are by no 
means to be neglected by travellers who would study 
understandingly this remarkable phase of Arctic and 
Alpine regions. 



CHAPTER VL 

Ancient and Modern Trondhjem. — Runic Inscriptions. — A Famous 
Old Cathedral. — Local Characteristics. — Romantic Story of King 
Olaf. — Curious Local Productions. — An Island Prison. — Lafoss 
Falls. — Corn Magazines. — Land-owners. — Wood-cutters. — For- 
ests. — A Tumble Overboard. — A Genuine Cockney. — Compara- 
tive Length of Days. — Characteristics of Boreal Regions. — Arctic 
Winter Fisheries. — The Ancient Cathedral Town of Lund ; the 
Oxford of Sweden. — Pagan Times, 

Trondhjem is situated on a fjord of the same name 
occupying a peninsula formed by the river Nid, and 
is surrounded by beautiful and picturesque scenery. 
A delightful view of the town and its environs may 
be had from the old fort of Kristiansten. Here re- 
sided the kings of Norway in the olden time. It is 
now a thriving but small city, the seat of a bishop- 
ric, and contains a Royal Academy of Sciences, a 
Museum embracing some remarkable examples of 
ancient weapons besides well-preserved armor, and 
there is here also a good Public Library. The Ca- 
thedral of St. Olaf is quite famous, being the finest 
Gothic edifice in all Scandinavia, and the only local 
object of special interest to the traveller. In the 
eleventh and twelfth centuries it was the burial-place 
of the kings of Norway. It is built in its modern 
form of a soft gray stone which was quarried near 
the town, but the older walls and foundation date 



THE TRONDHJEM CATHEDRAL. 103 

back many centuries, it being the restoration of a 
much more ancient church which was partially de- 
stroyed by fire in the year 1719. For many centuries 
carving in stone and wood has been a specialty in 
Scandinavia. The old Runic inscriptions are all 
carved in stone. Some of these works going back 
seven or eight hundred years, are of the most quaint 
and curious character. In this old cathedral there 
is a fine display of carvings in the way of bosses and 
capitals. Some of the Swedish churches exhibit simi- 
lar specimens of rude art, which are of great interest 
to antiquarians. The Trondhjem cathedral contains 
a copy of Thorwaldsen's Christ, the original of which 
is in the Frue Kirke at Copenhagen. This colossal 
figure seen in the dim light of the cathedral elo- 
quently expresses its inscription : " Come unto me 
all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give 
you rest." Many of the tombs in the cemetery ad- 
joining the cathedral were observed to be decked with 
flowers so fresh as to indicate frequent renewals, and 
yet many years had intervened since the date borne 
by the stone slabs above the dead who were thus 
gracefully remembered. The Scandinavians, like the 
Turks, make the graves of the departed a pleasant 
resort for leisure hours. The services performed in 
the old cathedral were those of the English Church 
on the occasion of our visit, which was on a Sunday ; 
but the attendance was so small as to be remarked 
upon, not fifty persons being present, though there is 
quite a colony of English residents here. 



104 DUE NORTH. 

After Christiania and Bergen Trondhjem is the next 
largest town in Norway, having fully twenty-five thou- 
sand inhabitants and enjoying quite an active com- 
merce, as its shipping indicated. The thoroughfares 
are broad and cheerful, and are liberally and tastefully 
adorned with a fine growth of trees. The Kongens- 
gade (King's Street), two hundred feet in width, runs 
from end to end of the city, and with the Munkegade, 
divides it like a cross. The latter street intersects 
the great market-place, which is in the centre of the 
town. The principal shops are found on the Strand- 
gade. The houses, rarely over two stories in height, 
are painted white and roofed with red tiles, like scar- 
let caps upon light-haired men. The facades are full 
of windows, which in turn are crowded with grow- 
ing and blooming plants. The irregularity of the 
cobble-stones used as pavements for the streets ren- 
ders pedestrianism very uncomfortable, and riding in 
a vehicle even more so. The Arsenal on the left 
bank of the Nid was once the palace home of the 
ancient kings, and the royal throne is still exhibited 
to the curious visitor, preserved in an unused portion 
of the structure. Those familiar with Scandinavian 
history will remember that Trondhjem was founded 
about a thousand years ago by King Olaf Trygvason, 
upon the site of a much older city named Nidaros. 
There is certainly nothing visible to indicate its great 
antiquity. The adventurous life of King Olaf, which 
recurs to us in this connection, may be outlined in a 
few words, and is more romantic than that of any 



KING OLAF TRYGVASON. 105 

other ruler of Norway known to us. Born a prince, 
he barely escaped assassination at the hands of the 
usurper of his rights, by fleeing from the country in 
charge of his mother. They were captured by pirates, 
separated and sold into slavery. Then followed a pe- 
riod of deprivation and hardship ; but at a compara- 
tively early age Olaf was opportunely discovered and 
ransomed by a relative who had never ceased to seek 
for the missing youth. He soon after became a dis- 
tinguished sea-king, of that class which we call pirates 
in our day. His career in this field of adventure is 
represented to have been one of daring and reckless 
hardihood, characterized by merciless aggression and 
great success. Finally Olaf married an Irish prin- 
cess, embraced Christianity, and fought his way to 
the throne of Norway, assuming the crown in the year 
of our Lord 991. From this time he became a zeal- 
ous missionary, propagating his faith by the sword ; 
and like all other religious zealots he was guilty of 
outrageous acts of cruelty, proving the axiom that 
" the worst of madmen is a saint run mad." Seven 
years subsequent to the last named date he destroyed 
the Pagan temple of Thor and Odin at Trondhjem, 
with all its venerated idols. Upon the site of this 
temple he built a Christian church, making the city 
his seat of government; and so it remained the capital 
down to the time of the union with Denmark. Olaf 
was slain in battle while fighting for his throne, and 
was canonized by the church, his shrine at Trondhjem 
being for centuries a Mecca for pious pilgrims from 



106 DUE NORTH. 

all parts of Europe. In such veneration were the 
memory and services of this converted pirate held, 
by a certain class of religionists, that churches were 
erected in his name at Constantinople and elsewhere. 
His body lies buried in the present cathedral; and, 
remarkable to relate, it was found to be incorrupt so 
late as 1541, according to reliable historical record, 
at which time the tomb underwent an official exami- 
nation induced by some State question of importance. 
It was in this cathedral that Bernadotte was crowned 
King of Norway, in 1818 ; Oscar L, in 1844 ; Charles 
XV., in 1860 ; and Oscar II., the present sovereign of 
the two Kingdoms, in 1873. 

In some of the fancy-goods shops on the Strandgade 
one can purchase silver ornaments of native design 
and workmanship, quite as original and peculiar as 
those produced at Trichinopoly in middle India, or 
at Genoa in Italy. Choice furs, such as delicate and 
well-cured skins of sable and fox, can be had here at 
reasonable rates, made up in the form of simple man- 
tles and robes. It was observed that upon entering 
a shop here the customer invariably removes his hat 
out of respect to the store-keeper, whether man or 
woman, and remains thus uncovered while perfecting 
his purchase. Courtesy is a cheap though potent 
commodity, and wholesome lessons may often be ac- 
quired in unexpected places. One curious local pro- 
duction was observed in the form of eider-down rugs, 
capes, cloaks, and the like, which were also seen at 
Christiania. One very fine specimen was in the form 



THE LAFOSS FALLS. 107 

of a cloak designed for ladies' wear, but which seemed 
to be rather an expensive luxury at the price asked, 
which was a thousand dollars. 

A short walk from the town brings one to Hlade, 
where stands the famous, or rather infamous, Jarl 
Hakon's castle, and from whence he ruled over the 
country round about with an iron hand in the olden 
time. He was a savage Heathen, believing in and 
practising human sacrifices, evidences of which are 
pointed out to the curious visitor. About a mile from 
the town, in the fjord, is the island of Munkholm, once 
the site of a Benedictine monastery, as its name in- 
dicates, and which was erected in 1028. The base of 
one of the towers, mouldering and moss-grown, now 
only remains. Victor Hugo graphically describes 
this island in his " Han d'Islande." Here the famous 
minister of Christian Y., Griff enfeldt, was confined for 
many weary years. His crime was absolutely noth- 
ing, his incarceration for this long period being purely 
the result of political intrigue. When he was finally 
brought to the scaffold for execution, a messenger in- 
terrupted the headsman at the last moment, and an- 
nounced a pardon from the King. " The pardon," said 
the worn out sufferer, " is severer than the penalty ! " 

A walk or drive of three or four miles up the beau- 
tiful valley of the Nid carries one to the Lafoss Falls, 
upper and lower, situated about a mile from each 
other ; and though classed among the ordinary water- 
falls of Norway, they are superior to anything of 
the sort in Switzerland. The upper fall is nearly a 



108 DUE NORTH. 

hundred feet high, with a width of five hundred feet ; 
the lower one is eighty feet in height and about one 
third as wide as the other. The falls of the Rhine at 
Schaffhausen may be compared to them; but these 
Scandinavian falls are more remarkable in size, as 
well as more perpendicular. They are annually vis- 
ited by large numbers of tourists from Europe and 
America, and have, like all such strong demonstra- 
tions of Nature, an individuality quite impressive. 
The salmon-fishing in this neighborhood is said to be 
the best in the country. The topographical formation 
of Norway precludes the extensive building of rail- 
roads, but three thousand square miles of the king- 
dom are covered with lakes which greatly facilitate 
inland communication. Lake Mjosen, already spoken 
of, and Randsfjord are respectively sixty and forty- 
five miles long. The hundreds of fjords which indent 
the west coast form another system of waterways, the 
four largest being the Hardangerfjord, Sognefjord, 
Porsanger, and Christiania. The population concen- 
trates on and about these natural means of communi- 
cation, and thus all are more or less utilized. About 
the shores of the Trondhjemfjord are to be seen de- 
lightful green fields and thrifty farms, vegetation ad- 
vancing as if by magic under the continuous heat of 
the ardent sun. The latitude here is 64° 65'. The 
mean annual temperature is set down in the local sta- 
tistics at 42° Fahrenheit, which it will be found by 
comparison corresponds with the winter temperature 
on the southern coast of England. 



CORN MAGAZINES. 109 

We were here told of a system of storage for grain, 
long established, but which was quite new to us, and 
which as a local expedient appears to possess consid- 
erable merit. It seems that there are what is called 
Corn Magazines organized in various districts, to 
which farmers may send a portion of their surplus 
produce, and whence also they may be supplied with 
loans of grain when required. The depositors receive 
at the rate of twelve and a half per cent increase up- 
on their deposit of grain for twelve months, and the 
borrowers replace the quantities advanced to them 
at the expiration of the same period, paying an inter- 
est of twenty-five per cent in kind. The difference 
in the amount of interest on the grain received and 
that loaned pays the necessary expenses of storage 
and of sustaining the system. As the sole object is 
the mutual benefit of all concerned, no profit above 
actual expenses is demanded or considered to be de- 
sirable. The necessity for these magazines is owing 
to the precarious character of the crops, — a peculi- 
arity of which is that there may be an abundance in 
one locality, and a partial or even total failure of the 
crop in another, though they may be separated by 
only a few miles from each other. These granaries 
are fostered by the Government. 

As one travels northward, it is found that farming 
as a permanent occupation gradually and naturally 
ceases. The populace, gathered about the fjords in 
small villages, devote their time to fishing, trading in 
skins, reindeer-meat, and the like. In middle and 



110 DUE NORTH. 

southern Norway, where farming is the principal occu- 
pation of the people, at the death of the head of the 
family the land belonging to the deceased is equally 
divided among the surviving children. No estates are 
entailed in this country. The division of real property 
tends to foster a spirit of independence and self-respect 
which will be looked for in vain among those nations 
where the land is in the possession of the few. It is a 
remarkable fact that the number of landed proprietors 
in Norway, in proportion to the aggregate of the pop- 
ulation, is greater than in any other country in Europe. 
Reliable statistics show that there is here one estate 
for every twenty-two persons ; while in Scotland, for 
instance, there is but one for each seven hundred! 
The Scandinavian farmer is neither poor nor rich ; he 
raises from his own soil nearly all the necessities of 
life, even including the family clothing, — exchanging 
a small portion of his surplus for such articles as he 
requires, but which are not of home product. The aver- 
age farms in Norway consist of from sixty to seventy- 
five acres each, though some are much larger. This 
does not include a certain portion of mountain pastur- 
age, only available in summer, but which is attached 
to every farm located in the valleys, known (as already 
described) as the saeter. 

The mountain scenery of the northern part of the 
country, especially near the coast, is not excelled in 
its bold and rugged character in any part of the world. 
Norway is here very sparsely inhabited, — a few huts, 
as we have shown, being occasionally perched upon 



IMMENSE FORESTS OF FIBS. Ill 

elevations which seem to be accessible to eagles and 
reptiles only, where footways or narrow paths are built 
upon piles across gaping ravines; or are formed of tim- 
ber suspended by chains securely fastened to the rocks. 
The inhabitants of these desolate regions find occupa- 
tion and procure a precarious living by cutting wood 
for fuel, which they transport upon their backs, or by 
the production of charcoal. In the more accessible 
places they cut timber for building purposes, which 
they float down the seething rapids and tortuous 
rivers to the villages and cities. Occasionally these 
people kill a bear or trap a wolf, from which sources 
they realize both food and a small government bounty 
in money. The fir, the pine, and the white birch 
abound, the first growing at an elevation of twenty- 
five hundred feet above the level of the sea. Now 
and again the eye is arrested by the gracefully-dis- 
posed mountain-ash, heavy with clusters of red ber- 
ries ; and often intermingled with the undergrowth, 
the pale dog-rose is seen growing far beyond the reach 
of human hands. In Sweden there are immense for- 
ests of firs hundreds of miles in extent, where the 
aspen and mountain-ash also abound. The oak is 
rare, but is found well developed in some of the 
southern districts of both Norway and Sweden. Wood 
is almost universally used for family fuel, as well as 
for manufacturing purposes, though some consider- 
able quantities of peat are realized from the bogs in 
some of the southern districts, which is also consumed 
in domestic use. 



112 DUE NORTH. 

The usual route of those who seek to gain a view of 
the " midnight sun," — that is, of witnessing the phe- 
nomenon of the sun passing round the horizon without 
sinking beneath it, — is to depart from Trondhjem by 
sea for the North Cape, skirting the iron-bound coast 
for a distance of about seven hundred miles. This was 
the route taken by the author, and over which he will 
ask the reader to accompany him. As the steamer was 
just casting off her shore-lines and getting underway, 
a passenger who seemed to have been accidentally 
detained came running down the pier to get on board, 
in doing which he missed his proper footing and fell 
into the water alongside. He was promptly relieved 
from his somewhat perilous position, but in a decidedly 
dripping condition. After descending to his cabin for 
a short time he appeared in more presentable shape, 
wearing a plaid travelling suit which was rather 
"loud" in the size of the diagonal figures. He wore 
a single eye-glass, stuck after the English fashion 
before his right eye, depending from which was a thin 
gold chain. His principal occupation seemed to be 
the manipulation of that eye-glass, shaking it out of 
place by a vigorous jerk of the head, and replacing it 
again incessantly. The fellow was an unmistakable 
cockney, and a more verdant specimen it would be 
difficult to conceive of. His great simplicity as ex- 
hibited at times was almost beyond belief. He ap- 
peared to be travelling alone, but though evidently 
near his majority he was scarcely fit to do so. His 
ideas of geography, or indeed of whither we were 



LONG DAYS AND THE WINTER NIGHT. 113 

sailing, seemed to be ludicrously involved. A Yankee 
schoolboy of ten years would have proved to be a 
veritable Solomon compared with our cockney fellow- 
passenger. 

As we sail northward, the rapid lengthening of the 
days becomes more and more obvious. At Lund, in 
the extreme south of Sweden, the longest day experi- 
enced is seventeen hours and a half; at Stockholm," 
two hundred miles farther north, the longest day of 
the year is eighteen hours and a half ; at Bergen, in 
Norway, three hundred miles north of Lund, the 
longest day is nineteen hours ; and at Trondhjem, 
five hundred miles north of Lund, the longest day is 
twenty-one hours. Above this point of latitude to the 
North Cape there is virtually no night at all during 
the brief summer season, as the sun is visible, or 
nearly so, for the whole twenty-four hours. From 
early in May until about the first of August, north 
of Trondhjem, the stars take a vacation, or at least 
they are not visible, while the moon is so pale as to 
give no light, the Great Bear puts by his seven lustres, 
and the diamond belt of Orion is unseen. But the 
heavenly lamps revive by the first of September, and 
after a short period are supplemented by the marvel- 
lous and beautiful radiations of the Aurora Borealis. 
Winter now sets in, the sun disappears entirely from 
sight, and night reigns supreme, the heavens shining 
only with subdued light. Were it not for the brill- 
iancy of the Auroral light, the fishermen could hardly 
pursue their winter vocation, that being the harvest- 

8 



114 DUE NORTH. 

time with them, and midnight is considered to be the 
best period of the twenty-four hours for successful 
fishing in these frosty regions. In and about the 
Lofoden Islands alone five thousand boats are thus 
regularly employed at the height of the season, giving 
occupation to from twenty to twenty-five thousand 
men. These people are mostly Scandinavians, prop- 
erly so designated ; but other countries also contribute 
their quota to swell the number, many coming especi- 
ally from northern Russia and northern Finland east 
of the Bothnian Gulf. 

Though Lund is not in the direct route over which 
we propose to take the reader, still having mentioned 
this ancient and most interesting locality, a few words 
in relation to it will not be out of place. To-day it 
has a population of some twelve or fifteen thousand 
only, but according to popular tradition it was once 
a city of two hundred thousand inhabitants, and was 
a famous and flourishing capital two thousand years 
ago, long before the birth of Christ. Its former 
churches and monasteries have crumbled to dust, 
the grounds and neighborhood being now only re- 
markable for the beautiful trees which have sprung 
up and covered the wrinkles that ruthless time 
has scored upon the face of the earth. The Lund 
of our day is a sleepy, dreamy old town, called by 
some the Oxford of Sweden, because of the acknowl- 
edged excellence of its University. The number of 
students attached thereto we could not learn, but 
we saw them in goodly numbers, living in separate 



A CATHEDRAL CITY. 115 

lodgings about the town and only coming together 
at the period of recitations and public lectures. The 
system of instruction here is unique ; enough was 
learned to satisfy one of that, but the details were 
not clearly defined. 

Lund has also its cathedral, a noble Norman struc- 
ture dedicated to Saint Lawrence, and which is all 
things considered one of the finest in Sweden, though 
it is a little grotesque by reason of the marvellous giants 
and impossible dwarfs sculptured upon the pillars of 
the interior. It was founded in the eleventh century, 
and has been more than once fully renovated. The 
town is of easy access. One has only to cross the 
Sound from Copenhagen, and it is richly worth visit- 
ing. It was a "holy " city in Pagan times, containing 
in those days temples to Odin and Thor, and was es- 
pecially remarkable for the ceremonies which took 
place there connected with the worship of these Hea- 
then deities, accompanied by human sacrifice. 



CHAPTER VII. 



Along the Coast of Norway. — Education at the Far North. — An 
Interesting Character. — A Botanical Enthusiast. — Remarkable 
Mountain Tunnel. — A Hard Climb. — The Seven Sisters. — Young 
England. — An Amateur Photographer. — Horseman's Island. — 
Ancient Town of Bodoe. — Arctic Flowers. — The Famous Mael- 
strom. — Illusions! — The Wonderful Lofoden Islands. — Grand 
and Unique Scenery. — Glaciers. — Nature's Architecture. — Mys- 
terious Effects. — Attraction for Artists. 



The coast of Norway from the most southerly part 
which is known as the Naze, to the North Cape which 
is its extreme point in that direction, is bordered by 
innumerable rocky islands, and also by deep fjords 
winding inland from ten to fifty miles each among 
masses of rock forming lofty, perpendicular walls, 
often towering a thousand feet and more in height. 
The traveller is reminded by the aspect of these fjords 
of the striking scenery of the Saguenay River in 
North America. The turbulent waves of the North 
Atlantic and Arctic Oceans hurled against the coast 
by the western gales for many thousands of years, have 
steadily worn into the land, and thus formed these 
remarkable fjords ; or perhaps after they were begun 
by volcanic action, the wearing of the water has grad- 
ually brought about their present condition. The 
coast of Sweden, on the other hand, is formed by the 



THE COAST OF NORWAY. 117 

Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia, both of which are 
inland waters ; and though there are many islands on 
the Swedish coast, there are no fjords worthy of men- 
tion. Notwithstanding that the extreme length of 
Norway from north to south is hardly twelve hun- 
dred miles, yet so numerous and extensive are these 
peculiar arms of the sea that its coast-line is esti- 
mated to measure over three thousand miles, — which 
gives to these deep indentures of the west coast a 
length of eighteen hundred miles. The entire penin- 
sula known under the general name of Scandinavia 
is composed of Norway, Sweden, and a small portion 
of the Russian possessions in the northeast. This 
division of country supports a population of little less 
than seven millions, and contains in round numbers 
three hundred thousand square miles. To geologists 
it is especially interesting to know that the mountains 
of this section of the globe are almost wholly of primi- 
tive rocks, presenting as near as possible the same 
form as when they were first solidified. They are 
rarely overlaid with more recent formations, but stand 
forth as tangible evidence of the great antiquity of 
this region. 

In her course northward the steamer winds in and 
out among the many islands and fjords, touching 
occasionally at small settlements on the main-land to 
discharge light freight, and to land or take on board 
an occasional passenger. The few persons who came 
from the little clusters of houses, which are not suffi- 
cient in number to be called a village, were found to 



118 DUE NORTH. 

be of more than ordinary intelligence, neat and clean 
in their appearance ; and, much to our surprise, they 
often spoke English. We were told that even in these 
sparsely inhabited regions, education is provided for 
by what is termed the " ambulatory system ; " that is, 
one able teacher instructs the youth of three or four 
neighboring districts, accommodating the convenience 
of all by suitable variations of time and place in 
holding school-sessions. 

Among the passengers who came on board our 
steamer at Trondhjem as we were starting for the 
north was one whose personal peculiarities had at- 
tracted some attention. He was a man of fifty years 
or more, with iron-gray hair, and a tall, slim figure. 
He wore a long gray surtout, a flat, flabby cloth cap, 
with a broad, straight leather visor, beneath which 
were shaggy grizzly brows, so heavy indeed as to 
throw his eyes into shadow, deep as a well. His 
wrinkled face, long and narrow, was supplemented by 
a double chin as full of folds as his cap. This man 
glanced about him occasionally, with large blue eyes 
of such marked intelligence as to indicate the posses- 
sion of plenty of brains. Fastened across his shoulder 
there depended upon his left side a long round tin box 
painted green. He seemed quite wrapped up in his 
own thought, and addressed no one. He had just 
seated himself in one corner of the deck, apparently 
for a nap, when we rounded to at a landing, on the 
second day of the voyage northward. Among those 
who came on board from this place were two or three 



AN ENTHUSIASTIC BOTANIST. 119 

peasant women destined for the next station, with 
whom was a young girl who held in her hand a tiny 
bouquet of simple cut flowers. The drowsy figure of 
the old German, for that was his nationality, suddenly 
became animated, and he was seen hastening towards 
the girl, and extending a piece of silver, which was 
quickly exchanged for the cluster of flowers. A mo- 
ment later he had assumed his former position, and 
with his tin box open before him was arranging his 
floral prize. His profession was no longer a mystery, 
He was a botanist, — a botanist con amove. Meeting 
him upon this ground, he was found to be a most 
delightful talker and a devout disciple of Linnaeus. 
He was so eloquent upon the properties of flowers, — 
their disposition, their genealogy, their connubial ties, 
the fragrance of their breath, their length of life, — 
that he might have been talking of humanity rather 
than of the denizens of Flora's kingdom. Every bit 
of fern was treasured ; every leaf, every pale blossom 
possessed feeling, consciousness of care, interesting 
habits, and spoke a familiar language to him. It was 
delightful to hear him discuss their properties with 
such enthusiasm, so tenderly and lovingly. It is to 
the faithful researches of such simple and sincere 
devotees of science that we are indebted for our 
knowledge of Nature's daintiest secrets. Among the 
flowers brought on board by the young girl was a 
deep blue orchis. " See," said the narrow-chested, 
thin-voiced old man, " this is the Orchis maculata, the 
Virgin's and Devil's hand, with one prong of the root 



120 DUE NORTH. 

dark and crooked, while the other is straight and 
white. Behold ! I place it in this basin of water ; the 
white hand floats upon the surface, the black hand 
sinks ! " The old man gazed in silence for a moment ; 
then added : " It is the emblem of good triumphing 
over evil." 

How gentle and benignant the nature that dwelt 
within the rough exterior of this enthusiast ! 

The course of the northern-bound steamers takes 
them by the celebrated island of Torghatten, which 
is pierced entirely through by a remarkable natural 
tunnel. The opening on the precipitous side occurs 
about half way up between the sea-level and the apex. 
The island rises gradually from the water at first, but 
soon becomes abrupt, finishing at a height of about 
one thousand feet. Here the steamer comes to an- 
chor for a few hours, to enable tourists to land and 
examine the tunnel. If the sea happens to be rough, 
however, this is not possible. A steep and rather 
trying climb over the spongy moss and rubble stones, 
where there is no definite path, brings one at last to 
the mouth of the opening, which is so regular in form 
that it would almost seem to have been constructed 
for some useful purpose by human hands, rather than 
by any freak of Nature. The floor of the tunnel is 
quite uneven and rough, being strewn with rocks that 
have fallen from the roof, owing to atmospheric disin- 
tegrating influences operating for many ages. It very 
naturally recalled the Grotto of Posilippo at Naples, 
surmounted by Virgil's tomb, though the Italian tun- 



A TUNNELLED ISLAND. SEVEN SISTERS. 121 

ncl is artificial, while Torgliatten is unmistakably nat- 
ural. This tunnel is sixty feet high at the mouth, and 
between five and six hundred feet long,' maintaining 
throughout about the same size. Through the large 
opening one gets a very curious, half-telescopic view 
of the sea and the many islands lying in range. Such 
a place would be quite incomplete as a unique resort, 
and particularly in Scandinavia, without its special 
legend attached ; but the one we heard upon the spot 
was far too extravagant and foolish to repeat in these 
pages. This mountain island is said to contain caves 
which extend some distance beneath the surrounding 
waters, but which are nevertheless perfectly dry. A 
story is told of one of these being the bridal chamber 
of a famous Viking in the olden time, and which is 
said to be only accessible by diving beneath the sur- 
face of the sea. Soon after leaving the perforated 
insular mountain, the " Seven Sisters " come into 
view. These are elevations about three thousand feet 
high, located upon the island of Alsten, which forms 
the west side of Vefsenf jord. They are of remarkable 
similarity in form, with deep valleys and dark gorges 
separating them. From the group there rolled back 
across the waters a whole broadside of echoes in re- 
sponse to the single boom of our forecastle gun fired 
for the purpose. These " Sisters " have stood here, 
in their -craggy and solitary grandeur, unexplored and 
untrodden for perhaps twice ten thousand years. The 
peaks are far too perpendicular for human access. 
The course in this region is along the shore of what 



122 DUE NORTH. 

is called Nordland, extending longitudinally about 
forty miles, the interior of which has not yet been 
explored. 

We had already passed latitude 66 ° north, when 
the captain of the steamer casually remarked to a 
group of passengers that we must be on the look-out, 
for we should soon cross the line of the Arctic Circle. 
Young England was instantly on the alert, with his 
sticking eye-glass and fidgety manner, wanting to know 
what the " line " looked like. Intelligent glances were 
exchanged between a couple of gentlemen passengers, 
one of whom stepped into the captain's office and 
brought out a ship's spy-glass. After carefully sweep- 
ing the horizon with the instrument directed to the 
northwest, the gentleman thought that he discovered 
indications of the " line " already. In this supposi- 
tion he was confirmed by his companion, after he also 
had taken a careful survey through the glass. Young 
England stood by, nervously jerking his eye-glass out 
of place and putting it back again, and anxious to get 
a peep ; so he was kindly accommodated. He shouted 
almost immediately that he could see the " line," and 
indulged in rather boisterous demonstrations of satis- 
faction at the sight. Presently the gentleman who had 
borrowed the glass received it again ; but before return- 
ing it to the captain's office he removed a small silk 
thread which had been extended across the object-glass. 
Young England in his simplicity never suspected the 
trick played upon his ignorance. The amateur pho- 
tographer (" photographic fiend," as he was named by 



HORSEMAN'S ISLAND. 123 

the passengers) was also on board with his portable 
machine, aiming it at everybody and everything. He 
too was an English cockney of the shallowest kind ; 
but as regarded any pictorial results from the innocent 
machine which he set up all over the ship, — now on 
the bridge, now at the taffrail, and again on the forecas- 
tle, — there were none. Not a " negative " was pro- 
duced during our eight days' voyage whereby one might 
judge whether the whole affair was a " blind " or other- 
wise. This youth was one degree less verdant than he 
with the sticking eye-glass, but yet he had an opinion to 
offer upon every topic of conversation, and was, as he 
believed, quite posted in all national and political mat- 
ters at home and abroad. If he lives for a few years 
he will doubtless have less faith in his own wisdom, 
and will exhibit less conceit to others. 

There is but one day in the year when the phenom- 
enon of the midnight sun can be seen at the imaginary 
line which we designate as the Arctic Circle, a point 
twenty-three degrees and twenty-eight minutes from 
the North Pole ; but by sailing some three hundred 
miles farther northward to the North Cape, the pro- 
jecting point of the extreme north of Norway, it may 
be observed under favorable circumstances, — that is, 
when not obscured by clouds, — for over two months 
dating from the middle of May. Soon after passing 
the Arctic Circle, fourteen hundred and eight geo- 
graphical miles from the North Pole, a singularly 
formed island is observed, called by the natives Hest- 
mando, or Horseman's Island, — a rocky and moun- 



124 DUE NORTH. 

tainous formation of two thousand feet in height, more 
or less. On approaching the island from the west, by 
a liberal aid from the imagination one can discern the 
colossal figure of a horseman wrapped in his cloak and 
mounted on a charger. It forms a well-known land- 
mark to all navigating the coast. The summit, it is 
believed, has never been reached by human feet. 

The fishing village or town of Bodoe, on the main- 
land, is one of the regular stopping places for the 
steamers that ply on the coast. It contains some fif- 
teen hundred inhabitants, all toilers of the sea, and is 
the chief town of Nordland. Some few of the houses 
are large and comfortable, being of modern construc- 
tion, forming a strong contrast to the low turf-roofed 
log-cabins which are to be seen in such close proxim- 
ity to them. There is an ancient stone church here 
which the traveller should find time to visit, — a quaint 
building, with a few antique paintings upon the walls 
and an atmosphere of past ages permeating its dim 
interior. Only the sacred rust of this old temple 
makes it worthy of attention. In and about the hum- 
ble settlement lovely wild-flowers were observed in 
profusion, — an agreeable surprise, for we had hardly 
expected to find these " smiles of God's goodness " 
so far north, within the Arctic Circle. Among them 
were the butterfly-orchis and Alpine ladyVmantle, be- 
sides a goodly crop of primroses, all the more at- 
tractive because of the seemingly unpropitious region 
where they were blooming. Here our earnest but sim- 
ple old friend the botanist revelled in his specialty, 



THE SHARK'S TEETH ISLANDS. 125 

indeed lost himself as it seemed, for when we sailed 
he was nowhere to be seen, and was surely left behind. 
" Did he take his baggage with him ? " we asked of an 
officer of the ship. " No, he had none," was the reply. 
And so we had parted from the absorbed gentle old 
scientist, without a word of farewell. Louis Philippe 
lived for a brief period at Bodoe when travelling as a ref- 
ugee under the name of Miiller, and visitors are shown 
the room which he occupied. Under favorable circum- 
stances the midnight sun is visible here for a period 
of about four weeks each season, and many persons 
tarry at Bodoe to obtain the desired view without the 
trouble of travelling farther northward. By ascend- 
ing the lofty hill called Lobsaas, one gets here also a 
grand though distant view of the remarkable Lofoden 
Islands. 

After leaving Bodoe the course of the steamers lies 
directly across the Vestfjord to the islands just re- 
ferred to, whose jagged outlines have been compared 
to the teeth which line a shark's mouth. They lie so 
close together, particularly on the side by which we 
approached ihem, that no opening was visible in their 
long undulating mountain-chain until the vessel came 
close upon them and entered a narrow winding pas- 
sage among rocks and cliffs which formed an en- 
trance channel to the archipelago. In crossing the 
open sea which lies between the main-land and the 
islands rough weather is often encountered, but once 
within the shelter of the group, the waters become 
calm and mirror-like in smoothness. The passage 



126 DUE NORTH. 

throtigh the myriad isles and from one to another, 
now rounding sharp points and now making a complete 
angle in the course, renders it necessary to " slow 
down" the steamer, so that she glides silently over 
the immense depths of dark waters as if propelled by 
some strange mysterious power below her hull. The 
Lofodens, owing to the clearness of the atmosphere as 
seen from Bodoe, appear to be about fifteen or twenty 
miles away on the edge of the horizon, but the real 
distance is nearly or quite fifty. The play of light 
and shade is here so different from that of lower lati- 
tudes that the atmosphere seems at times to be almost 
telescopic, and the most experienced traveller finds 
himself often deceived in judging of distances. 

A little to the westward of the steamer's course 
in coming hither from the main-land lies the famous 
vortex known as the Maelstrom, the theme of many 
a romance and wild conjecture which lives in the 
memory of every schoolboy. At certain stages of 
the wind and tide a fierce eddy is formed here, which 
is perhaps somewhat dangerous for very small boats 
to cross, but the presumed risk to vessels of the size 
of common coasting-craft under proper management, 
is an error. At some stages of the tide it is difficult 
even to detect the exact spot which at other times is 
so disturbed. Thus we find that another fact of our 
credulous youth turns out to be a fable, with a very 
thin substratum of fact for its foundation. The 
tragedies recorded in connection with the Venetian 
Bridge of Sighs are proven to be mostly gross an- 



THE LOFODEN ISLANDS. 127 

achronisms ; the episode of Tell and the apple was 
a Swiss fabrication ; and now we know that neither 
ships nor whales were ever drawn into the Norwegian 
Maelstrom to instant destruction. There are several 
other similar rapids in and about these pinnacled 
islands, identical in their cause, though the one re- 
ferred to is the most restless and formidable. 

On close examination the Lofodens were found to 
consist of a maze of irregular mountain-peaks and 
precipices, often between two and three thousand feet 
in height, the passage between them being very tor- 
tuous, winding amid straits interspersed with hun- 
dreds of small rocky islets which were the home of 
large flocks of sea-birds. "It seemed," as was ex- 
pressively remarked by a lady passenger, " like sailing 
through Switzerland." Dwarf-trees, small patches of 
green grass and moss grew near the water's edge, and 
carpeted here and there a few acres of level soil ; but 
the high ridges were bleak and bare rock, covered in 
spots with never-melting snow and ice. Most of the 
coast of Norway is composed of metamorphic rock ; 
but these islands are of granite, and for marvellous 
peaks and oddly-pointed shapes, deep, far-reaching 
gulches and canons, are unequalled elsewhere. It 
seemed to us marvellous that a steamer could be 
safely navigated through such narrow passages and 
among such myriads of sunken rocks. These eleva- 
tions from beneath the sea varied from mere turtle- 
backs, as the sailors called them, just visible above 
the water, to mountains with sky-kissing peaks. For 



128 DUE NORTH. 

a vessel to run upon one of the low hummocks would 
be simply destruction, the water alongside being 
rarely less than two or three hundred fathoms in 
depth. Fortunately the sea is mostly quite smooth 
within the shelter of the archipelago, otherwise steam- 
vessels would rarely enter it. The compass is brought 
but little into use. The pilots distinguish rocks and 
promontories by their peculiar physiognomy, and they 
steer from point to point with remarkable accuracy, 
arriving and departing from given stations with the 
variation of but a few minutes from the time laid 
down upon their schedules. Each steamer running 
upon the coast carries two pilots, independent of the 
other officers of the ship, one of whom is always 
at the wheel when the vessel is under way. They 
are chosen for their responsible character and their 
knowledge of the route, and they very justly command 
high wages. We stopped briefly at Henningsvaer, the 
centre of the Lofoden cod-fishery establishments. It 
is a small town situated at the base of the Vaagekelle 
Mountain, an elevation between three and four thou- 
sand feet high. The place smells rank to heaven of 
dried fish and cod-liver oil, the combined stench of 
which articles, with that of decaying refuse lying 
everywhere, was truly overpowering. The hardy fish- 
ermen work nearly all winter at their rough occupa- 
tion, braving the tempestuous Northern ocean in frail 
undecked boats, which to an inexperienced eye seem 
utterly unfit for such exposed service. The harvest- 
time to the cod-fishers here is from January to the 



THE VESTERAALEN ISLANDS. 129 

middle of April. Casualties are of course frequent, 
but we were told that they are not remarkably so. 
Winter fishing on the banks of Newfoundland is be- 
lieved to be the annual cause of more fatalities than 
are experienced among the Lofoden fishermen. Some- 
times this region is visited by terrible hurricanes, as 
was the case in 1848, on which occasion five hundred 
fishermen were swept into eternity in one hour. Their 
boats are built of Norway spruce or pine, and are very 
light, scarcely more seaworthy than a Swampscott 
dory. Each has a single, portable mast which carries 
one square sail. The crew of a boat generally con- 
sists of six men. These live when on shore in little 
log-huts, each containing a score or more of bunks 
ranged along the sides one above another. The men 
come hither, as has been intimated, from all parts 
of the North, and return home at the close of the 
fishing season. 

It should be made clear to the reader's mind that 
these matchless islands off the northwest coast of 
Norway consist of two divisions, — the Lofoden and 
Vesteraalen isles. The Vestfjord separates the for- 
mer from the main-land and the Ofotenfjord ; and a 
prolongation of the Vestfjord separates the latter 
from Norway proper. These two groups are sepa- 
rated from each other by the Raftsund. All the 
islands on the west of this boundary belong to the 
Lofoden, and those on the east and north to the Vesc 
teraalen group. The total length of all these islands 
is about a hundred and thirty miles, and the area is 

9 



130 NUE NORTH. 

computed at fifteen hundred and sixty square miles. 
These estimates, we were informed, had lately been 
very nearly corroborated by actual government sur- 
vey. The population of the islands will not vary 
much from twenty thousand. The entire occupation 
of the people is fishing, curing the fish, and shipping 
them southward. Some of the shrewdest persons en- 
gaged in this business accumulate moderate fortunes 
in a few years, when they naturally seek some more 
genial home upon the main-land. The large islands 
contain rivers and lakes of considerable size, but the 
growth of trees in this high latitude is sparse, and 
when found they are universally dwarfed. There is, 
however, as the product of the brief summer season, 
an abundance of fresh green vegetation, which is fos- 
tered by the humidity of the atmosphere. Still the 
prevailing aspect is that of towering, jagged rocks. 
Though the winters are long, they are comparatively 
mild, so much so that the salt water does not freeze 
in or about the group at any time of the year. As 
to the scenery, the Lofodens must be admitted to sur- 
pass in true sublimity and grandeur anything of their 
nature to be found in southern Europe. There is 
ample evidence showing that in long past ages these 
islands were much more extensive than at present, 
and that they were once covered with abundant veg- 
etation. But violent convulsions in the mean time 
must have rent them asunder, submerging some en- 
tirely, and elevating others into their present irreg- 
ular shapes. 



THE STRAIT OF RAFTSUND. 131 

In pursuing her course towards the North Cape, the 
steamer for a distance of twenty miles and more glides 
through a strait remarkable for its picturesqueness and 
unique beauty, which is called the Raftsund. Here 
the shore is studded by the tiny red cabins of the fish- 
ermen, surrounded by green low-growing foliage, the 
earth-covered roofs of the huts often spread with pur- 
ple heather-bloom, mingled about the eaves with moss 
of intensely verdant hue. The high slopes of the hills 
are covered with Alpine moss, and the upper cliffs 
with snow, whose yielding tears, persuaded by the 
warm sun, feed opalescent cascades ; while below and 
all about the ship are the deep dark waters of the 
Polar Sea. Neither the majestic Alps, the glowing 
Pyrenees, nor the commanding Apennines ever im- 
pressed us like these wild, wrinkled, rock-bound moun- 
tains in their virgin mantles of frost. The sensation 
when gazing in wonder upon the far-away Himalayas, 
the loftiest range on the earth, was perhaps more 
overpowering ; but the nearness to these abrupt cliffs, 
volcanic islands, mountains, and glaciers in boreal 
regions made it seem more like Wonderland. The 
traveller looks heavenward from the deck of the 
steamer to see the apex of the steep walls, stern, mas- 
sive, and immovable, which line the fjords, lost in the 
blue sky, or wreathed in gauzy mantles of mist-clouds, 
as he may have looked upward from the deep, green 
valley of the Yosemite at the lofty crowns of Mount 
Starr King, El Capitan, or Sentinel Dome. On again 
approaching the main-land the varying panorama is 



132 DUE NORTH. 

similarly impressive, though differing in kind. It 
will be remembered that the coast of Norway extends 
three hundred miles north of the Arctic Circle, pro- 
jecting itself boldly into the Polar Sea, and that two 
hundred miles and more of this distance is north of 
the Lofoden Island group. Now and then reaches of 
country are passed affording striking and beautiful 
landscape effects, where valleys open towards the sea, 
affording views sometimes capped by glaciers high up 
towards the overhanging sky, where they form im- 
mense level fields of dazzling ice embracing hundreds 
of square miles. The enjoyment of a trip along the 
coast is largely dependent upon the condition of the 
weather, which is frequently very disagreeable. In 
this respect the author was greatly favored. The ab- 
sence of fog and mist was remarkable, while the water 
most of the time was as smooth as a pleasure pond. 
With a heavy, rolling sea and stormy weather, the 
trip northward from Bodoe, and especially among the 
Lofodens, would be anything but enjoyable. Some- 
times fancy led us to gaze lazily over the bulwarks 
into the mirroring sea for long distances, where moun- 
tains, gorges, foaming torrents, and sheer precipices 
were even more sharply depicted than when gazing 
directly at them. A feeling of loneliness is sure to 
creep over the solitary traveller at such times, a long- 
ing for some congenial companion with whom to share 
all this glowing experience. "Joy was born a twin." 
Fulness of appreciation and delight can be reached 
only by being shared. 



THE SVARTISEN GLACIER. 133 

Amid such scenes as we have described rises the 
enormous Svartisen glacier, its ice and snow defying 
the power of the sun. This glacier is many miles in 
length and nearly as wide as it is long, covering a 
plateau four thousand feet above the level of the sea. 
The dimensions given the author upon the spot were 
so mammoth that he hesitates to record them ; but it 
is by far the most extensive one he has ever seen. 
Sulitelma, the highest mountain in Lapland, six thou- 
sand feet above the sea, crowned by a shroud of eter- 
nal snow, comes into view, though it is nearly fifty 
miles inland. The snow-level about this latitude of 
69° north is five hundred feet above that of the sea, 
below which, wherever the earth can find a foothold 
on the rocks, all is delightfully green, — a tender del- 
icate green, such as marks the early spring foliage of 
New England, or the leaves of the young locust. The 
heat of the brief summer sun is intense, and insect 
life thrives marvellously in common with the more 
welcome vegetation. Birch and willow trees seem 
best adapted to withstand the rigor of these regions, 
and they thrive in the warm season with a vitality 
and beauty of effect which is heightened by the ever- 
present contrast. Every hour of the voyage seemed 
burdened with novelty, and ceaseless vigilance pos- 
sessed every faculty. A transparent haze at mid-day 
or midnight lay like a golden veil over land and sea ; 
objects even at a short distance presented a shadowy 
and an unreal aspect. The rough and barren islands 
which we passed in our midnight course often exhib- 



134 DUE NORTH. 

ited one side glorified with gorgeous roseate hues, 
while casting sombre and mysterious shadows behind 
them, which produced a strangely weird effect, half 
of delight, half of awe, while the long superb trail of 
sunlight crept towards us from the horizon. 

The attractions of Norway to the artist are many, 
and in a great measure they are unique, especially in 
the immediate vicinity of the west coast. No two of 
the many abrupt elevations resemble each other, all 
are erratic ; some like Alpine cathedrals seemingly 
rear their fretted spires far heavenward, where they 
echo the hoarse anthems played by the winters' 
storms. One would think that Nature in a wayward 
mood had tried her hand sportively at architecture, 
sculpture, and castle-building, — constructing now a 
high monumental column or a mounted warrior, and 
now a Gothic fane amid regions strange, lonely, and 
savage. There are grand mountains and glaciers in 
Switzerland, but they do not rise directly out of the 
ocean as they do here in Scandinavia ; and as to the 
scenery afforded by the innumerable fjords winding in- 
land, amid forests, cliffs, and impetuous waterfalls, no- 
where else can these be seen save on this remarkable 
coast. Like rivers, and yet so unlike them in width, 
depth, and placidity, with their broad mouths guarded 
by clustering islands, one can find nothing in Nature 
more grand, solemn, and impressive than a Norwe- 
gian fjord. Now and again the shores are lined for 
brief distances by the greenest of green pastures, 
dotted with little red houses and groups of domestic 



ARTISTIC ASPECTS OF SCANDINAVIA. 135 

animals, forming bits of verdant foreground backed 
by dark gorges. Down precipitous cliffs leap cas- 
cades, which are fed by ice-fields hidden in the lofty 
mountains so close at hand. These are not merely 
pretty spouts like many a little Swiss device, but 
grand, plunging, restless torrents, conveying heavy 
volumes of foaming water. An artist's eye would 
revel in the twilight glory of carmine, orange, and 
indigo which floods the atmosphere and the sea amid 
such scenery as we have faintly depicted. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Birds of the Arctic Regions. — Effect of Continuous Daylight. — Town 
of Tromsoe. — The Aurora Borealis. — Love of Flowers. — The 
Growth of Trees. — Butterflies. — Home Flowers. — Trees. — Shoot- 
ing Whales with Cannon. — Pre-Historic Eelics. — About Lap- 
landers. — Eider Ducks. — A Norsk "Wedding Present. — Gypsies 
of the North. — Pagan Rites. — The Use of the Reindeer. — Domes- 
tic Life of the Lapps. — Marriage Ceremony. — A Gypsy Queen. — 
Lapp Babies. — Graceful Acknowledgment. 

We have said nothing about the feathered tribes 
of Norway, though all along this coast, which is so 
eaten and corroded by the action of the sea, the birds 
are nearly as numerous as the fishes. They are far 
more abundant than the author has ever seen them 
in any other part of the world. Many islands, be- 
ginning at the Lofodens and reaching to the extreme 
end of the peninsula, are solely occupied by them as 
breeding places. Their numbers are beyond calcula- 
tion ; one might as well try to get at the aggregate 
number of flies in a given space in midsummer. They 
consist of petrels, swans, geese, pelicans, grebes, 
auks, gulls, and divers ; these last are more particu- 
larly of the duck family, of which there are over thirty 
distinct species in and about this immediate region. 
Curlews, wandering albatrosses, ptarmigans, cormo- 
rants, and ospreys were also observed, besides some 
birds of beautiful plumage whose names were un- 



EFFECT OF CONTINUOUS DAYLIGHT. 137 

known to us. Throughout all Scandinavia the many 
lakes, so numerous as to be unknown by name, also 
abound with water-fowl of nearly every description 
habitual to the North. These inland regions afford 
an abundance of the white grouse, which may be 
called the national bird of Norway, where it so much 
abounds. The author has nowhere seen such fine 
specimens of this bird except in the mountains of 
Colorado, where it is however very rarely captured. 
In Scandinavia it changes- the color of its plumage 
very curiously, from a summer to a winter hue. In 
the first named season these birds have a reddish 
brown tinge, quite clear and distinctive; but in winter 
their plumage becomes of snowy whiteness, — a fact 
from which naturalists are prone to draw some .fine- 
spun deductions. 

As we advanced farther and farther northward 
our experiences became more and more peculiar. 
It seemed that humanity, like Nature about us, was 
possessed of a certain insomnia in these regions 
during the constant reign of daylight. People were 
wide awake and busy at their various occupations dur- 
ing all hours, while the drowsy god seemed to have 
departed on a long journey to the southward. The 
apparent incongruity of starting upon a fresh enter- 
prise " in the dead vast and middle of the night " 
was only realized on consulting one's watch. 

To meet the temporary exigency caused by contin- 
uous daylight, as to whether one meant day or night 
time in giving the figure on the dial, the passengers 



138 DUE NORTH. 

adopted an ingenious mode of counting the hours. 
Thus after twelve o'clock midday the count went on 
thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen o'clock, until midnight, 
which was twenty-four o'clock. This is a mode of 
designation adopted in both China and Italy. 

Tromsoe is situated in latitude 69° 38' north, upon 
a small but pleasant island, though it is rather low 
compared with the surrounding islands and the near- 
est main-land, but clothed when we saw it, in July, to 
the very highest point with exquisite verdure. It is a 
gay and thrifty little place built upon a slope, studded 
here and there with attractive villas amid the trees ; 
but the business portion of the town is quite compact, 
and lies closely about the shore. It is the largest and 
most important settlement in northern Norway, being 
the capital of Norwegian Lapland, and having about 
six thousand inhabitants. It rises to the dignity of a 
cathedral, and is the seat of a bishopric. In the Market 
Place is a substantial Town Hall, and a neat though 
small Roman Catholic church. There is also here 
an excellent Museum, principally of Arctic curiosities 
and objects relating to the history of the Lapps and 
^inlanders, with a fair zoological department, also 
possessing a fine collection of Alpine minerals. There 
are several schools, one of which is designed to pre- 
pare teachers for their special occupation, somewhat 
after the style of our Normal Schools. It must be 
admitted, however, that the lower order of the people 
here are both ignorant and superstitious ; still, the 
conclusion was that Tromsoe is one of the most inter- 



THE TOWN OF TROMSOE. 139 

esting spots selected as a popular centre within the 
Arctic Circle. Both to the north and south of the 
town snow-clad mountains shut off distant views. 
During the winter months there are only four hours of 
daylight here out of each twenty-four, — that is, from 
about ten o'clock A. M. until two o'clock p. m. ; but the 
long winter nights are made comparatively light by the 
glowing and constant splendor of the Aurora Borea- 
lis. The pride of Tromsoe is its cathedral, which con- 
tains some really fine wood-carving ; but the structure 
is small and has no architectural merit. Though 
regular services are held here on the Sabbath, that is 
about the only apparent observation of the day by the 
people. Games and out-door sports are played in the 
very churchyard, and balls and parties are given in 
the evening of the Lord's Day ; evidently they do not 
belong to that class of people who think Sunday is a 
sponge with which to wipe out the sins of the week. 
The streets are ornamented by the mountain-ash, 
birch-trees, and the wild cherry, ranged uniformly 
on either side of the broad thoroughfares. In one 
place it was noticed that a miniature park had been 
begun by the planting of numerous young trees. 
The birches in this neighborhood are of a grandly 
developed species, the handsomest indeed which we 
remember to have seen anywhere. Just outside the 
town there was observed a field golden with butter- 
cups, making it difficult to realize that we were in 
Arctic regions. A pink-blooming heather also car- 
peted other small fields ; and here for a moment we 



140 DUE NORTH. 

were agreeably surprised at beholding a tiny cloud of 
butterflies, so abundant in the warm sunshine and 
presenting such transparency of color, as to suggest 
the idea that some rainbow had been shattered and 
was floating in myriad particles on the buoyant air. 
The short-lived summer perhaps makes flowers all 
the more prized and the more carefully tended. In 
the rudest quarters a few pet plants were seen, whose 
arrangement and nurture showed womanly care and 
tenderness. Every window in the humble dwellings 
had its living screen of drooping many-colored fuch- 
sias, geraniums, forget-me-nots, and monthly roses. 
The ivy is especially prized here, and is picturesquely 
trained to hang gracefully about the architraves of the 
windows. The fragrant sweet-pea, with its combined 
snow-white and peach-blossom hues, was often mingled 
prettily with the dark green of the ivy, the climbing 
propensities of each making them fitting companions. 
In one or two windows was seen the brilliant flower- 
ing bignonia (Trumpet-vine), and an abundance of 
soft green, rose-scented geraniums. Surely there must 
be an innate sense of refinement among the people of 
these frost-imbued regions, whatever their seeming, 
when they are actuated by such delicate apprecia- 
tions. "They are useless rubbish," said a complain- 
ing husband to his hard-working wife, referring to her 
little store of flowers. " Useless ! " replied the true 
woman, " how dare you be wiser than God ? " 

Vegetation within the Arctic Circle is possessed of 
an individual vitality which seems to be independent 



THE GROWTH OF TREES. 141 

of atmospheric influence. Plants seem to have thawed 
a little space about them before the snow quite dis- 
appeared, and to have peeped forth from their frost- 
surrounded bed in the full vigor of life, while the 
grass springs up so suddenly that its growth must 
have been well started under cover of the snow. One 
of the most interesting subjects of study to the trav- 
eller on the journey northward is to mark his pro- 
gress by the products of the forest. The trees will 
prove, if intelligently observed, as definite in regard 
to fixing his position as an astronomical observation 
could do. From the region of the date and the palm 
we come to that of the fig and the olive, thence to the 
orange, the almond, and the myrtle. Succeeding these 
we find the walnut, the poplar, and the lime ; and 
again there comes the region of the elm, the oak, and 
the sycamore. These will be succeeded by the larch, 
the fir, the pine, the birch, and their companions. 
After this point we look for no change of species, but 
a diminution in size of these last enumerated. The 
variety, of trees is of course the result of altitude as 
well as of latitude, since there are mountain regions 
in southern Europe, as well as in America, where one 
may pass in a few hours from the region of the olive 
to that of the stunted pine or fir. 

The staple commodities of Tromsoe are Lapps, rein- 
deer, and midnight sun. The universal occupation 
is that of fishing for cod, sharks, and whales, to which 
may be added the curing or drying of the first and 
the " trying out " of the latter, supplemented by the 



142 DUE NORTH. 

treatment of cods' livers. From this place vessels are 
fitted out for Polar expeditions, which creates a cer- 
tain amount of local business in the ship chandlery 
line. French, German, English, Russian, and Danish 
flags were observed floating from the shipping in the 
harbor, which presented a scene of considerable activ- 
ity for so small a port. Some of these vessels were 
fitting for the capture of seals and walruses among 
the ice-fields of the Polar Sea, and also on the coast of 
Spitzbergen and Nova Zembla. A small propeller was 
seen lying in the stream fitted with a forecastle gun, 
from whence to fire a lance at whales, — a species of 
big fishing which is profitably pursued here. A huge 
carcass of this leviathan was stranded on the opposite 
side of the harbor from where we were moored, and it 
is hardly necessary to add that its decaying condition 
rendered the atmosphere extremely offensive. As 
we lay at anchor little row-boats, with high bows 
and sterns, flitted about the bay like sea-birds on the 
wing, and rode as lightly on the surface of the water. 
These were often " manned " by a couple of sturdy, 
bronzed women, who rowed with great precision and 
stout arms, their eyes and faces glowing with anima- 
tion. These boats, of the same model as that thou- 
sand-year old Viking ship at Christiania, seemed to 
set very low in the water amidship, but yet were re- 
markable for their buoyancy, sharp bows and sterns, 
and the ease with which they were propelled. The tall 
wooden fish-packing houses which line the wharves 
suggest the prevailing industry of the place. A long, 



PRE-HISTORIC RELICS. 143 

low white building upon the hill-side also showed that 
the manufacture of rope and cordage is a prominent 
industry of the locality. 

The Lapps in their quaint and picturesque costumes 
surrounded the newly arrived steamer in their boats, 
offering furs, carved horn implements, moccasons, wal- 
rus-teeth, and the like for sale. These wares are of 
the rudest type, and of no possible use to civilized 
people ; but they are curious, and serve as mementos 
of the traveller's visit to these northern latitudes. In 
the town there are several stores where goods, manu- 
factured by the better class of Lapps, can be had of a 
finer quality than is offered by these itinerants, who 
are very ready to pass off inferior articles upon stran- 
gers. Their drinking-cups, platters, and dishes gen- 
erally 'are made of the wood of the birch. Spoons 
and forks are formed of the horns and bones of the 
reindeer. In the fancy line they make some curi- 
ous bracelets from the roots of the birch-tree. These 
Lapps are very shrewd in trade, and are not without 
plenty of low cunning hidden behind their brown, with- 
ered, and expressionless faces. 

On the main-land near by, as we were told, there are 
some singular relics of antiquity, such as a series of 
large stones uniformly arranged in circles, and high 
cairns of stone containing in their centres one or more 
square chambers. At one place in this district there 
is a remarkable mound of reindeer's horns and hu- 
man bones, mingled with those of unknown species of 
animals. It is believed that here, centuries ago, the 



144 DUE NORTH. 

Lapps sacrificed both animals and human beings to 
their Pagan deities. There are also some deep earth 
and rock caves found in the same vicinity, which con- 
tain many human bones with others of huge animals, 
which have excited great interest among scientists. 
In the neighborhood of Tromsoe, and especially still 
farther north, large numbers of eider-duck are found, 
so abundant that no reliable estimate can be made 
of their number. The eggs are largely used by 
the natives for food, the nests being also regularly 
robbed of the down, while the birds with patient res- 
ignation continue for a considerable period to lay eggs 
and to renew the soft lining of their nests. The 
birds themselves are protected by law, no one being 
permitted to injure them. The male bird is white 
and black, the female is brown. In size they are 
larger than our domestic ducks. Landing almost 
anywhere in this sparsely inhabited region along 
the coast, but more particularly upon the islands, one 
finds the eider-ducks upon their low accessible nests 
built of marine plants among the rocks, and during 
incubation the birds are quite as tame as barn-yard 
fowls. The down of these birds forms a considerable 
source of income to many persons who make a busi- 
ness of gathering it. It has always a fixed value, and 
is worth, we were told, in Tromsoe, ten dollars per 
pound when ready for market. The waste in prepar- 
ing it for use is large, requiring four pounds of the 
crude article as it comes from the nest to make one 
pound of the cleansed, merchantable down. Each nest 



PECULIARITIES OF THE LAPPS. 145 

during the breeding season produces about a quarter of 
a pound of the uncleansed article. When thoroughly 
prepared, it is so firm and yet so elastic that the quan- 
tity which can be pressed between the two hands will 
suffice to properly stuff a bed-quilt. It is customary 
for a Norsk lover to present his betrothed with one of 
these quilts previous to espousal, the contents of which 
he is presumed to have gathered with his own hands. 
A peculiarity of eider-down, as we were informed, is 
that if picked by hand from the breast of the dead 
bird it has no elasticity whatever. The natural color 
is a pale-brown. Many of the localities resorted to by 
the birds for breeding purposes are claimed by certain 
parties, who erect a cross or some other special mark 
thereon to signify that such preserves are not to be 
poached upon. The birds, like the people, get their 
living mostly by fishing, and are attracted hither as. 
much by the abundance of their natural food as by 
the isolation of their breeding haunts. 

The Lapps are to be seen by scores in the streets of 
Tromsoe. They are small in stature, being generally 
under five feet, with high cheek-bones, snub-noses, 
oblique Mongolian eyes, big mouths, large ill-formed 
heads, faces preternaturally aged, hair like meadow 
hay, and very scanty beards. Such is a photograph 
of the ancient race that once ruled the whole of Scan- 
dinavia. By taking a short trip inland one comes 
upon their summer encampment, formed of a few crude 
huts, outside of which they generally live except in 
the winter months. A Lapp sleeps wherever fatigue 

10 



146 DUE NORTH. 

or drunkenness overcomes him, preferring the ground, 
but often lying on the snow. He rises in the morning 
refreshed from an exposure by which nearly any civil- 
ized human being would expect to incur lasting if not 
fatal injury. They are the gypsies of the North, and 
occupy a very low place in the social scale, certainly 
no higher than that of the Penobscot Indians of Maine. 
Their faculties are of a restricted order, and mission- 
ary efforts among them have never yet yielded any 
satisfactory results. Unlike our western Indians they 
are of a peaceful nature, neither treacherous nor re- 
vengeful, but yet having many of the grosser failings 
of civilized life. They are greedy, avaricious, very 
dirty, and passionately fond of alcoholic drinks, but 
we were told that serious crimes were very rare 
among them. No people could be more superstitious, 
as they believe that the caves of the half-inaccessible 
mountains about them are peopled by giants and evil 
spirits. They still retain some of their half-pagan 
rites, such as the use of magical drums and tom-toms 
for conjuring purposes, and to frighten away or to 
propitiate supposed devils, malicious diseases, and so 
on. The most advanced of the race are those who in- 
habit northern Norway. The Swedish Lapps are con- 
sidered as coming next, while those under Russian 
dominion are thought to be the lowest. 

An old navigator named Scrahthrift, while making 
a voyage of discovery northward, more than three 
centuries ago, wrote about the Lapps as follows : 
" They are a wild people, which neither know God nor 



REINDEER AS WEALTH. 147 

yet good order ; and these people live in tents made 
of deerskins, and they have no certain habitations, 
but continue in herds by companies of one hundred 
or two hundred. They are a people of small stature 
and are clothed in deerskins, and drink nothing but 
water, and eat no bread, but flesh all raw." They may 
have drunk nothing but water three hundred years 
ago, but they drink alcohol enough in this nineteenth 
century to make up for all former abstemiousness. 
Scrahthrift wrote in 1556, and gave the first account 
to the English-speaking world of this peculiar race 
whom modern ethnologists class with the Samoyedes 
of Siberia and the Esquimaux, the three forming 
what is called the Hyperborean Race. The word 
Samoyedes signifies " swamp-dwellers," and Esqui- 
mau means " eater of raw flesh." 

The Lapps are natural nomads, their wealth con- 
sisting solely in their herds of reindeer, to procure 
sustenance for which necessitates frequent changes 
of locality. A Laplander is rich, provided he owns 
enough of these animals to support himself and fam- 
ily. A herd that can afford thirty full-grown deer 
for slaughter annually, and say ten more to be sold or 
bartered, makes a family of a dozen persons comfort- 
ably well off. But to sustain such a draft upon his 
resources, a Lapp must own at least two hundred and 
fifty head. There is also a waste account to be con- 
sidered. Not a few are destroyed annually by wolves 
and bears, notwithstanding the usual precautions 
against such casualties, while in very severe winters 



148 DUE NORTH. 

numbers are sure to die of starvation. They live 
almost entirely on the so-called reindeer moss; but 
this failing them, they eat the young twigs of the 
trees. When the snow covers the ground to a depth 
of not more than three or four feet, these intelligent 
creatures dig holes in order to reach the moss, and 
guided by some strong instinct they rarely fail to do so 
in just the right place. The Lapps themselves would 
be entirely at a loss for any indication where to seek the 
animal's food when it is covered by the deep snow. 

What the camel is to the Arab of the desert, the 
reindeer is to the Laplander. Though found here in 
a wild state, they are not common, and are very shy 
sometimes occupying partially inaccessible islands 
near the main-land, swimming back and forth as ne- 
cessity may demand. The domestic deer is smaller 
than those that remain in a state of nature, and is 
said to live only half as long. When properly broken 
to harness, they carry lashed to their backs a hundred 
and thirty pounds, or drag upon the snow, when har- 
nessed to a sledge, two hundred and fifty pounds, 
travelling ten miles an hour, for several consecutive 
hours, without apparent fatigue. Some of the thread 
prepared by the Lapp women from the sinews of the 
reindeer was shown to us, being as fine as the best 
sewing-silk, and much stronger than any silk thread 
made by modern methods. 

These diminutive people are not so poorly off as 
one would at first sight think them to be. The cli- 
mate in which they live, though terrible to us, is not 






USES OF TEE REINDEER. 149 

so to them. They have their games, sports, and fes- 
tive hours. If their hardships were very trying they 
would not be so proverbially long-lived. Though an 
ill-formed race, they are yet rugged, hardy, and self- 
reliant. Their limbs are crooked and out of propor- 
tion to their bodies; one looks in vain for a well-shaped 
or perfect figure among them, and indeed it may be 
safely doubted whether a straight-limbed Lapp exists. 
They are one and all bow-legged. The country over 
which these people roam is included within northern 
Norway, Sweden, Russia, and Finland, say extending 
over seven thousand square miles ; but the whole race 
will hardly number thirty thousand in the aggregate. 
Lapland in general terms may be said to be the region 
lying between the Polar Ocean and the Arctic Circle, 
the eastern and western boundaries being the Atlantic 
Ocean and the White Sea, two thirds of which terri- 
tory belong to Russia, and one third is about equally 
divided between Norway and Sweden. 

We repeat that the reindeer is to the Lapp what the 
camel is to the Arab. This small creature is the 
Lapp's cow, horse, food, clothing, tent, everything. 
Food is not stored for the animals, as they are never 
under cover even in the severest weather, and they 
must procure their own food or starve. The females 
give but a small quantity of milk, not more than the 
amount yielded by a well-fed goat, but it is remark- 
ably rich and nourishing. Oddly enough, as it seemed 
to us, they are milked but twice a week ; and when 
this process is performed, each animal must be lassoed 



150 DUE NORTH. 

and firmly held by one person while another milks. 
Many of the doe on the occasion of our visit were ac- 
companied by their fawns, of which they often have 
two at a birth. These little creatures are able to fol- 
low their dam twenty-four hours after birth. We 
were told that the bucks are inclined to kill the fawns 
when they are first born, but are fiercely attacked by 
the dams and driven away. A Swiss chamois is not 
more expert in climbing mountains than are these 
Norway deer ; and were it not for the efficient help of 
their dogs, which animals are as sagacious as the 
Scotch sheep-dogs, the Lapps would often find it 
nearly impossible to corral their herds for milking 
and other purposes. In their nature deer are really 
untamable, being never brought into such complete 
subjection as to be quite safe for domestic use. Even 
when broken to harness, that is when attached to 
the snow-sledge or carrying burdens lashed to their 
backs, they will sometimes without any premonition 
break out into rank rebellion and violently attack 
their masters. We were told by an intelligent resi- 
dent of Tromsoe that the Lapps never abuse these 
animals, even when they are attacked by them. They 
only throw some garment upon the ground upon which 
the buck vents his rage ; after which the owner can 
appear and resume his former control of the animal, 
as though nothing had happened out of the common 
course of events. 

The Lapps live in low, open tents during the sum- 
mer season, moving from place to place as food is 



MARRIAGE CEREMONY OF THE LAPPS. 151 

found for their herds, but keeping near the sea-coast 
for purposes of trade, as well as to avoid those terrible 
pests the gad-fly and the mosquito, insects too obnox- 
ious for even the endurance of a Laplander. In the 
winter they retire far inland, where they build tempo- 
rary huts of the branches of the trees, plastering 
them inside and out with clay, but leaving a hole 
in the top to act as a chimney and convey away the 
smoke, the fire being always built upon a broad flat 
stone in the centre of the hut. In these rude, and 
according to our estimate comfortless, cabins they 
hibernate rather than live the life of civilized beings 
for eight months of the year. Hunting and fishing 
occupy a portion of their time ; and to kill a bear is 
considered a most honorable achievement, something 
to boast of for life, rendering the successful hunter 
quite a hero among his associates. Though the forest, 
river, and sea furnish this people with more or less 
food throughout the year, still the Lapp depends upon 
his herd for fixed supplies of sustenance. The milk 
made into cheese is his most important article of 
food, and is stored for winter use. Few are so poor 
as not to own forty or fifty reindeer. The Norwegians 
and Swedes who live in their neighborhood have as 
great a prejudice against the Lapps as our western 
citizens have against the North American Indians. 
This as regards the Lapps is perhaps more especially 
on account of their filthiness and half-barbarous habits. 
It must be admitted that a visit to their huts near 
Tromsoe leads one to form an extremely unfavorable 



152 DUE NORTH. 

opinion of the race. When a couple of young Lapps 
desire to become married a priest is sometimes em- 
ployed, but by common acceptation among them the 
bride's father is equally qualified to perform the cere- 
mony, which is both original and simple. It consists 
in placing the hands of the two contracting parties in 
each other, and the striking of fire with a flint and 
steel, when the marriage is declared to be irrevocable. 
Promiscuous as their lives seem to be in nearly all 
respects, we were told that when a Lapp woman was 
once married the attendant relationship was held 
sacred. Though it was our fate to just miss witness- 
ing a marriage ceremony here, the bride and groom 
were pointed out to us, appearing like two children, 
so diminutive were they. The dress of the two sexes 
is so similar that it is not easy for a stranger to dis- 
tinguish at a glance men from women, except that the 
latter are not so tall as the former. Polygamy is 
common among them. Men marry at the age of 
eighteen, women at fifteen ; but as a race they are not 
prolific, and their numbers, as we were informed, are 
steadily decreasing. The average Laplander is less 
than five feet in height, and the women rarely exceed 
four feet. The latter are particularly fond of coffee, 
sugar, and rye flour, which the men care nothing for 
so long as they can get corn brandy, — a local distil- 
lation quite colorless but very potent. The Norwe- 
gians have a saying of reproach concerning one who 
is inclined to drink too much : " Don't make a Lapp 
of yourself." Both men and women are inveterate 



A HANDSOME LAPP MAIDEN. 153 

smokers, and next to money you can give them noth- 
ing more acceptable than tobacco. 

Nature is sometimes anomalous. Among the group 
of Lapp men and women whom we met in the streets 
of Tromsoe, there stood one, a tall stately girl twenty- 
two years of age, more or less, who presented in her 
really fine person a singular contrast to her rude com- 
panions. Unmistakable as to her race, she was yet 
a head and shoulders taller than the rest, but posses- 
sing the high cheek-bones, square face, and Mongolian 
cast of eyes which characterizes them. There was an 
air of dignified modesty and almost of beauty about 
this young woman, spite of her leather leggins, queer 
moccasons, and rough reindeer clothes. Her fingers 
were busily occupied, as she stood there gracefully 
leaning against a rough stone-wall in the soft sun- 
shine, twisting the sinews of the deer into fine 
thread, while she carelessly glanced up now and again 
at the curious eyes of the author who was intently 
regarding her. One could not but imagine what re- 
markable possibilities lay hidden in this individual ; 
what a change education, culture, and refined associa- 
tions might create in her ; what a social world there 
was extant of which she had never dreamed ! It was 
observed that her companions of both sexes seemed 
to defer to her, and we fancied that she must be a sort 
of queen bee in the Lapps' hive. 

There is one thing observable and worthy of men- 
tion as regards the domestic habits of these rude 
Laplanders, and that is their apparent consideration 



154 DUE NORTH. 

for their women. The hard work is invariably as- 
sumed by the men. The women carry the babies, but 
the men carry all heavy burdens, and perform the 
rougher labor contingent upon their simple domestic 
lives. The women milk, but the men must drive the 
herds from the distant pasturage, lasso the doe, and 
hold the animals by the horns during the process. It 
is not possible to tame or domesticate them so as to 
submit to this operation with patience like a cow. 
Up to a certain age the Lapp babies are packed con- 
stantly in dry moss, in place of other clothing dur- 
ing their infancy, this being renewed as occasion 
demands, — thus very materially economizing laundry 
labor. The little creatures are very quiet in their 
portable cradles, consisting of a basket-frame cov- 
ered with reindeer hide, into which they are closely 
strapped. The cases are sometimes swung hammock 
fashion between two posts, and sometimes hung upon 
a peg outside the cabins in the sunshine. It is 
marvellous to what a degree of seeming neglect 
semi-barbarous babies will patiently submit, and how 
quietly their babyhood is passed. Probably a Japan- 
ese, Chinese, or Lapp baby can cry upon occasion ; 
but though many hours have been passed by the au- 
thor among these people, he never heard a breath of 
complaint from the wee things. 

Some of the Lapps are quite expert with the bow 
and arrow, which was their ancient weapon of defence 
as well as for hunting, it being the primitive weapon 
of savages wherever encountered. Few of this people 



COURTESY OF NORWEGIAN YOUTH. 155 

possess firearms. The long sharp knife and the steel- 
tipped arrow still form their principal arms. With 
these under ordinary circumstances, when he chances 
upon the animal, a Lapp does not hesitate to attack 
the black bear, provided she has not young ones with 
her, in which case she is too savage a foe to attack 
single-handed. In starting out upon a bear-hunt, 
several Lapps combine, and spears are taken with the 
party as well as firearms if they are fortunate enough 
to possess them. 

As we were standing among the Lapps in Tromsoe, 
with some passengers from the steamer, a bevy of 
children just returning from school joined the group. 
A blue-eyed, flaxen-haired girl of ten or eleven years 
in advance of the rest attracted the attention of a 
gentleman of the party, who presented her with a 
bright silver coin. The child took his hand in both 
her own, pressed it with exquisite natural grace to 
her lips, courtesied and passed on. This is the uni- 
versal act of gratitude among the youth of Norway. 
The child had been taken by surprise, but she accepted 
the little gift with quiet and dignified self-possession. 
There is no importunity or beggary to be encountered 
in Scandinavia. 



CHAPTER IX. 

Experiences Sailing Northward. — Arctic "Whaling. — The Feathered 
Tribe. — Caught in a Trap. — Domestic Animals. — The Marvellous 
Gulf Stream. — Town of Hammerfest. — Commerce. — Arctic Mos- 
quitoes. — The Public Crier. — Norwegian Marriages. — Peculiar 
Bird Habits. — A Hint to Naturalists. — Bird Island. — A Lonely- 
Habitation. — High Latitude. — Final Landing at the North Cape. 
— A Hard Climb. — View of the Wonderful Midnight Sun. 

After leaving Tromsoe our course was north by 
east, crossing broad wild fjords and skirting the 
main-land, passing innumerable islands down whose 
precipitous sides narrow waterfalls leaped hundreds 
of feet towards the sea. Along the shore at intervals 
little clusters of fishermen's huts were seen with a 
small sprinkling of herbage and patches of bright 
verdure. Here and there were partially successful 
attempts at vegetable culture, but the brief season 
which is here possible for such purposes is almost 
prohibitory. Whales, sometimes singly, sometimes in 
schools, rose to the surface of the sea, and casting up 
tiny fountains of spray would suddenly disappear to 
come up again, perhaps miles away. These leviathans 
of the deep are always a subject of great interest to 
persons at sea, and were certainly in remarkable num- 
bers here in the Arctic Ocean. As we have said, 
small steamers are in use along the coast for catching 



SHOOTING WHALES WITH CANNON. 157 

whales; and these are painted green, to enable them 
to approach the animal unperceived. They are armed 
with small swivel-guns, from which is fired a com- 
pound projectile, consisting of a barbed harpoon to 
which a short chain is affixed, and to that a strong 
line. This special form of harpoon has barbs, which 
expand as soon as they have entered the body of 
the animal and he pulls upon the line, stopping at 
a certain angle, and rendering the withdrawal of the 
weapon impossible. Besides this an explosive shell 
is attached, which bursts within the body of the mon- 
ster as soon as the flukes expand, producing almost 
instant death. A cable is then affixed to the head, 
and the whale is towed into harbor to be cut up and 
the blubber tried out upon the shore in huge kettles. 
This business is carried on at Yadso and Hammerfest 
as well as at Tromsoe. The change was constant, and 
the novelty never ceasing. Large black geese, too 
heavy it would seem for lofty flight, rose awkwardly 
from the surface of the waves, and now and again 
skimmed across the fjords, just clearing the surface 
of the dark blue waters. Oyster-catchers, as they are 
familiarly called, decked with scarlet legs and bills, 
were abundant. Now and then that daring highway- 
man among sea-birds, — the skua, or robber-gull, — 
was seen on the watch for a victim. He is quite dark 
in plumage, almost black, and gets a predatory living 
by attacking and causing other birds to drop what 
they have caught up from the sea, seizing which as it 
falls, he sails swiftly away to consume his stolen prize. 



158 DUE NORTH. 

The movements of this feathered creature through the 
air when darting towards its object are almost too 
rapid to follow with the human eye. Not infrequently 
six or eight gulls of the common species club together 
and make a combined onslaught upon this daring free- 
booter, and then he must look out for himself ; for 
when the gull is thoroughly aroused and makes up his 
mind to fight, he distinctly means business, and will 
struggle to the last gasp, like the Spanish game-cock. 
There is proverbially strength in numbers, and the 
skua, after such an organized encounter, is almost 
always found floating lifeless upon the surface of the 
sea. 

We were told of an interesting and touching expe- 
rience relating to the golden eagle which occurred 
near Hammerfest, in the vicinity of which we are now 
speaking. It seems that a young Norwegian had set 
a trap far up in the hills, at a point where he knew 
that these birds occasionally made their appearance. 
He was prevented from visiting the trap for some two 
weeks after he had set and placed it ; but finally when 
he did so, he found that one of these noble creatures 
had been caught by the foot, probably in a few hours 
after the trap had been left there. His efforts to re- 
lease himself had been in vain, and he lay there dead 
from exhaustion, not of starvation. This was plain 
enough, since close beside the dead eagle and quite 
within his reach was the half-consumed body of a 
white grouse, which must have been brought to him by 
his mate, who realizing her companion's position thus 



INFLUENCE OF THE GULF STREAM. 159 

did all that was in her power to sustain and help him. 
Occasionally domestic animals in small numbers are 
seen at the fishing hamlets, though this is very rarely 
the case above Hammerfest. Goats, cows, and sheep 
find but a poor supply of vegetable sustenance, mostly 
composed of reindeer moss ; but, strange to say, these 
animals learn to eat dried fish, and to relish it when 
mixed with moss and straw. The cows are small in 
frame and quite short in the legs, but they are hardy 
and prolific, and mostly white. All domestic animals 
seem to be dwarfed here by climatic influences. 

Long before we reached Hammerfest the passen- 
gers' watches seemed to be bewitched, for it must be 
remembered that here it is broad daylight through 
all the twenty-four hours which constitute day and 
night elsewhere. No wonder that sleep became little 
more than a subterfuge, since everybody's eyes were 
preternaturally wide open. 

The Gulf Stream emerging from the tropics thou- 
sands of miles away constantly laves these shores, 
and consequently ice is here unknown. At first blush 
it seems a little queer that icebergs here in latitude 
70° north are never seen, though we all know them 
to be plenty enough in the season on the coast of 
America at 41°. The entire coast of Norway is 
warmer by at least twenty degrees than most other 
localities in the same latitude, owing to the presence 
and influence of the Gulf Stream, — that heated, mys- 
terious river in the midst of the ocean. It also brings 
to these boreal regions quantities of floating material, 



160 DUE NORTH. 

such as the trunks of palm-trees and other substances 
suitable for fuel, to which useful purpose they are put 
at the Lofoden fishing hamlets and also on the shores 
of the main-land. By the same active agency West 
Indian seeds and woods are found floating on the 
west coast of Scotland and Ireland. 

Hammerfest, the capital of the province of Fin- 
mark, is situated in latitude 70° 40' north, upon the 
island of Kvaloe, or " Whale Island." It is over- 
shadowed by Tyvf jeld, — that is, " Thief Mountain," 
thus fancifully named because it robs the place of the 
little sunshine it might enjoy were this huge elevation 
not at all times intervening. It is the most northerly 
town in all Europe, and is located about sixty-five 
miles southwest of the North Cape. It is a compactly- 
built town of about three thousand inhabitants, who 
appear to be exceptionally industrious and intelligent. 
Even here, in this far-off region of frost, there are 
good schools and able teachers. There is also a 
weekly newspaper issued, and some authorities claim 
a population of nearly six thousand, which seemed to 
be an excessive estimate. 

The harbor presents a busy scene, with its queer 
Norwegian boats formed after the excellent but an- 
tique shape of the galleys of old. On a little promon- 
tory near the entrance of the harbor is erected a stone 
pillar, indicating the spot where the measurement of 
the degrees of latitude between the mouth of the 
Danube and Hammerfest was perfected. It is called 
the Meridianstotte. The trading-vessels are many, 



THE TOWN OF HAMMERFEST. 161 

and they fly the flags of several commercial nations ; 
but most numerous of all is the flag of Russia, whose 
trading-ships swarm on the coast during the summer 
season. Many of these vessels were from far-off 
Archangel and the ports of the White Sea, from 
whence they bring cargoes of grain to exchange for 
dried fish. Truly has it been said that commerce de- 
fies every wind, outrides every tempest, and invades 
every zone. Hammerfest, consisting mostly of one 
long, broad street, is neat and clean ; but the odor of 
fish-oil is very sickening to one not accustomed to it. 
We were twice compelled to beat a retreat from cer- 
tain localities, being unable to endure the stench. 
Many of the people were seen to be shod in heavy 
leather boots or shoes, similar in form to the fishing- 
boats, being curiously pointed and turned up at the 
toes. Certain tokens in and about the town forcibly 
reminded one of New Bedford in Massachusetts. On 
the north promontory of the island is situated a pic- 
turesque lighthouse, from which a fine view may be 
enjoyed of the rocky shore, the myriads of islands, 
and the mountainous main-land. The mosquitoes, 
that inexplicable pest even in this high latitude, 
scarcely wait for the snow to disappear before they 
begin their vicious onslaught upon humanity. The 
farther one goes inland the greater this annoyance 
becomes, and some protection to face, neck, and 
hands is absolutely necessary. The public crier pur- 
sues his ancient vocation at Hammerfest, not how- 
ever with a noisy bell, but with a more melodious 

11 



162 DUE NORTH. 

trumpet. After blowing a few clear, shrill notes 
thereon calculated to awaken attention, he proclaims 
that there will be a missionary meeting held at a cer- 
tain hour and place, or that a steamer will sail on the 
following day at a given time, the favorite hour being 
at twelve midnight. The crier here understands his 
vocation, and by introducing a certain melodious 
expression to his words, chanting them in fact, he 
commands the pleased attention of the multitude. 

A wedding-feast in Norway is always looked upon 
as a grand domestic event, and is ever made the most 
of by all parties concerned ; but at Hammerfest and 
the north part of the country generally, it becomes a 
most important and demonstrative affair. No expense 
is spared by the bride's parents to render the event 
memorable in all respects. The revels are sometimes 
kept up for a period of three weeks, until at last every 
one becomes quite exhausted with the excitement and 
with dancing, when the celebration by common con- 
sent is brought to a close. During the height of the 
revels, street parades constitute a part of the singular 
performances, when bride, bridegroom, family and 
friends, preceded by a band of musicians, march gayly 
from point to point; or a line of boats is formed, with 
the principals in the first, the musicians in the second, 
and so on, all decked with natural and artificial 
flowers and bright-colored streamers. As we started 
out of Hammerfest harbor we chanced upon one of 
these aquatic bridal parties, accompanied by instru- 
mental music and a chorus of many pleasant voices, 



APPROACHING THE NORTH CAPE. 163 

the diaphanous dresses of bride and bridesmaids look- 
ing like mist-wreaths settled about the boats. It was 
easy to distinguish the bride from her attendants, by 
the tall, sparkling gilt crown which she wore. 

In sailing along the coast after leaving the point just 
described, it is observed that vegetation grows more 
and more scarce. The land is seen to be useless 
for agricultural purposes ; habitations first become 
rare, then almost entirely cease, bleakness reigning 
supreme, while one seems to be creeping higher and 
higher on the earth. In ascending lofty mountains, 
say in the Himalayan range, we realize that there 
are heights still above us ; but in approaching the 
North Cape a feeling comes over us that we are grad- 
ually getting to the very apex of the globe. Every- 
thing seems to be beneath our feet ; the broad, deep, 
unbounded ocean alone makes the horizon. Day 
and night cease to be relative terms, while the strange 
effect and the magic brightness of a Polar night ut- 
terly beggar description. As we rounded one of the 
many abrupt rocky islets in our course, which came 
up dark, steep, and inaccessible from an unknown 
depth, there flew up from the smooth waters into 
which the steamer ploughed her way a couple of 
small ducks, each with a young bird snugly ensconced 
upon its back, between the broad-spread, narrow 
wings. This was to the writer a novelty, though an 
officer of the ship said it was not unusual to see cer- 
tain species of Arctic ducks thus transporting their 
ducklings. One reads of woodcock at times seizing 



164 DUE NORTH. 

their young in their talons, and bearing them away 
from impending danger ; but a web-footed bird could 
not effectually adopt this mode in any exigency. It 
seems however that Nature has taught the ducks an- 
other fashion of transporting their helpless progeny. 
The birds we had disturbed did not fly aloft with their 
tiny burdens, but skimmed over the surface of the 
fjord into some one of the sheltering nooks along the 
irregular shore. We were further told a curious fact, 
if fact it be, that the young ducks of the female spe- 
cies, almost as soon as they are able to fly, begin to 
practise the habit of carrying something upon their 
backs. That is to say, they are not infrequently found 
skimming along the surface of the water with a small 
wad of sea-weed, such as is used by aquatic birds in 
nest-building, carefully supported between their wings. 
Just so little girls are prone to pet a doll, the mater- 
nal instinct exhibiting itself in early childhood. The 
male and female birds are easily distinguished from 
each other by the difference in their plumage. The 
former do not show this inclination for carrying baby 
burdens, neither do young boys display a predilection 
for dolls ! We commend these facts to the notice of 
naturalists. 

About forty miles northward from Hammerfest is 
situated what is called Bird Island, a hoary mass of 
rock, famous as a breeding place of various sea-birds, 
and where the nests of many thousands are to be 
seen. This huge cliff rises abruptly to the height of 
over a thousand feet from the surrounding ocean. 



BIRD ISLAND AT THE NORTH CAPE. 165 

Its seaward face being nearly perpendicular is yet so 
creviced as to afford lodgement for the birds, and it is 
literally covered by their nests from base to top. The 
Norwegians call the island Sva^rholtklubben. It is 
customary for excursion steamers to " make " this 
island in their course to the North Cape, and to stand 
off and on for an hour to give passengers an opportu- 
nity to observe the birds and their interesting habits. 
The ship's cannon is fired also, when the echoes of its 
single report become myriad, reverberating through 
the caves and broad chasms of the rock, starting 
forth the feathered tribes, until the air is as full of 
them as of flakes in an Arctic snow-storm. The 
echoes mingle with the harsh, wailing screams, and 
roar of wings become almost deafening as the birds 
wheel in clouds above the ship, or sail swiftly away 
and return again like a flash to join their young, 
whose tiny white heads may be seen peeping anxiously 
above the sides of the nests. One or two dwelling- 
houses, surrounded by a few small sheds, are to be 
seen in a little valley near the water's edge on the 
lee side of Bird Island, where a dozen persons more 
or less make their dreary home. These residents 
send off fresh milk by a boat to the passing steamer, 
though how the cows can find sustenance here is an 
unsolved riddle. They also make a business of rob- 
bing the birds'-nests of the eggs, by means of lad- 
ders, but do not injure the birds themselves. Of 
course there are but comparatively few of the nests 
which they can manage to reach at all. 



166 DUE NORTH. 

The North Cape is in reality an island projecting 
itself far into the Polar Sea, and which is separated 
from the main-land by a narrow strait. The highest 
point which has ever been reached by the daring 
Arctic explorer was eighty-three degrees twenty-four 
minutes, north latitude ; this Cape is in latitude sev- 
enty-one degrees ten minutes. The island is named 
Mageroe, which signifies a barren place ; and it is cer- 
tainly well named, for a wilder, bleaker, or more des- 
olate spot cannot be found on the face of the earth. 
Only a few hares, ermine, and sea-birds manage to 
subsist upon its sterile soil. The western and north- 
ern sides are absolutely inaccessible from their rough 
and precipitous character. The Arctic Sea thundered 
hoarsely against its base as we approached the wind- 
swept, weather-worn cliff of the North Cape in a small 
landing-boat. It was near the midnight hour, yet the 
warm light of the sun's clear, direct rays enveloped 
us. A few sea-birds uttered dismal and discordant 
cries as they flew lazily in circles overhead. The 
landing was soon accomplished amid the half im- 
passable rocks, and then began the struggle to reach 
the top of the Cape, which rises in its only accessible 
part at an angle of nearly fortj'-five degrees. For 
half an hour we plodded wearily through the debris 
of rubble-stones, wet soil, and rolling rocks, until 
finally the top was reached, after which a walk of 
about a third of a mile upon gently rising ground 
brings one to the point of observation, — that is, to the 
verge of the cliff. We were now fully one thousand 



STANDING UPON THE NORTH CAPE. 167 

feet above the level of the sea, standing literally upon 
the threshold of the unknown. 

No difference was observed between the broad light 
of this Polar night and the noon of a sunny summer's 
day in the low latitudes. The sky was all aglow and 
the rays of the sun warm and penetrating, though a 
certain chill in the atmosphere at this exposed eleva- 
tion rendered thick clothing quite indispensable. This 
was the objective point to reach which we had voyaged 
thousands of miles from another hemisphere. We 
looked about us in silent wonder and awe. To the 
northward was that unknown region to solve the mys- 
teries of which so many gallant lives had been sacri- 
ficed. Far to the eastward was Asia ; in the distant 
west lay America, and southward were Europe and 
Africa. Such an experience may occur once in a life- 
time, but rarely can it be repeated. The surface of 
the cliff, which is quite level where we stood (near the 
base of the small granite column erected to commem- 
orate the visit of Oscar II. in 1873), was covered by 
soft reindeer moss, which yielded to the tread like a 
rich carpet of velvet. There was no other vegetation 
near, not even a spear of grass ; though as we climbed 
the steep path hither occasional bits of pea-green 
moss were seen, with a minute pink blossom peeping 
out here and there from the rubble-stones. Pres- 
ently the boom of a distant gun floated faintly up- 
wards. It was the cautionary signal from the ship, 
which was now seen floating far below us, a mere 
speck upon that Polar sea. 



168 DUE NORTH. 

The hands of the watch indicated that it was near 
the hour of twelve, midnight. The great luminary 
had sunk slowly amid a glory of light to within three 
degrees of the horizon, where it seemed to hover for 
a single moment like some monster bird about to 
alight upon a mountain peak, and then changing its 
mind, slowly began its upward movement. This was 
exactly at midnight, always a solemn hour ; but amid 
the glare of sunlight and the glowing immensity of 
sea and sky, how strange and weird it seemed ! 

Notwithstanding they were so closely mingled, the 
difference between the gorgeous coloring of the set- 
ting and the fresh hues of the rising sun was clearly 
though delicately defined. Indeed, the sun had not 
really set at all. It had been constantly visible, 
though it seemed to shine for a few moments with 
slightly diminished power. Still, the human eye could 
not rest upon it for one instant. It was the mingling 
of the golden haze of evening with the radiant, roseate 
flush of the blushing morn. At the point where sky 
and ocean met there was left a boreal azure resemb- 
ling the steel-white of the diamond ; this was suc- 
ceeded by pearly gray, until the horizon became wavy 
with lines of blue, like the delicate figures wrought 
upon a Toledo blade. In the Yellow Sea the author 
has seen a more vivid sunset, combining the volcanic 
effects of lurid light ; but it lacked the sublime, mys- 
terious, mingled glory of evening and morning twi- 
light which characterized this wondrous view of the 
Arctic midnight sun. 



CHAPTER X. 

Journey Across Country. — Capital of Sweden. — Old and New. — 
Swedish History. — Local Attractions. — King Oscar II. — The 
Royal Palace. — The "Westminster Abbey of Stockholm. — A Splen- 
did Deer Park. — Public Amusements. — The Sabbath. — An Offi- 
cial Dude. — An Awkward Statue. — Swedish Nightingales. — 
Linnaeus and Swedenborg. — Dalecaiiia Girls. — A Kemarkable 
Group in Bronze. — Rosedale Royal Cottage. — Ancient Oaks. — 
Upsala and its Surroundings. — Ancient Mounds at Old Upsala. — 
Swedenborg's Study. 

The reader will remember that we spoke in our 
early pages of the inland trip across Norway and Swe- 
den, — that is, from Gottenburg to Stockholm. After 
visiting the North Cape, one returns by nearly the 
same route along the coast to Trondhjem, thence to 
Christiania. Our next objective point being the capi- 
tal of Sweden, we took passage by rail, crossing the 
country by way of Charlottenborg, which is the fron- 
tier town of Sweden. Here there is a custom-house 
examination of baggage ; for although Norway and 
Sweden are under one crown, yet they have a separate 
tariff, so that custom-house rules are regularly en- 
forced between them. As regards others than com- 
mercial travellers however this is a mere form, and 
is not made a source of needless annoyance, as is too 
often the case in other countries. In crossing the 
peninsula by rail one does not enjoy the picturesque 



170 DUE NORTH. 

scenery which characterizes the Gotha Canal route. 
The railroad journey takes one through a region of 
lake and forest by no means devoid of interest, and 
which is rich in mines of iron and other ores. Some 
important viaducts, iron bridges, and tunnels are 
passed, and as we approach Lake Maelaren on the east 
coast a more highly cultivated country is traversed, 
some of the oldest towns in Sweden being also passed, 
each of which is strongly individualized. There is a 
considerable difference observable between the archi- 
tecture of the Norwegians and that of the Swedes, the 
former affecting the style of the Swiss chalet, while 
the latter build much more substantially. Their dwel- 
lings as a rule are better finished, and always neatly 
painted, in town or country. 

Stockholm is a noble capital, in many respects ex- 
ceptionally so. It is situated on the Baltic at the out- 
let of Lake Maelaren, and is built on several islands, 
all of which are connected by substantial bridges, — 
the finest of which is the Norrbro, which has several 
grand arches of stone, the whole measuring four hun- 
dred feet in length by at least sixty in width, though 
we have no statistics at hand by which to verify these 
figures. The city has a population of over a hundred 
and eighty thousand, covering an area of five square 
miles, and taken as a whole it certainly forms one of 
the most cleanly and interesting capitals in Europe. 
It is a city of canals, public gardens, broad squares, 
and gay cafe's. It has two excellent harbors, one 
on the Baltic and one on Lake Maelaren. Wars, 



THE CITY OF STOCKHOLM. 171 

conflagrations, and the steady progress of civilization 
have entirely changed the city from what it was in 
the days of Gustavus Vasa, — that is, about the year 
1496. It was he who founded the dynasty which has 
survived for three hundred years. The streets in the 
older sections of the town are often crooked and nar- 
row, like those of Marseilles, or of Toledo in Spain, 
where in looking heavenward one does not behold 
enough of the blue sky between the roofs for the 
measure of a waistcoat pattern, but in the more mod- 
ern-built parts there are fine straight avenues and 
spacious squares, with large and imposing public and 
private edifices. Here as in most of the other Scan- 
dinavian cities, in consequence of various sweeping 
fires, the old timber-built houses have gradually dis- 
appeared, being replaced by those of brick or stone, 
and there is now enforced a municipal law which pro- 
hibits the erection of wooden structures within the 
precincts of the city proper. 

Stockholm is the centre of the social and literary 
activity of Scandinavia, hardly second in these re- 
spects to Copenhagen. It has its full share of scien- 
tific, artistic, and benevolent institutions, such as befit 
a great European capital. The stranger should as 
soon as convenient after arriving ascend an elevation 
of the town called the Mosebacke, whereon has been 
erected a lofty iron framework and look-out, which is 
surmounted by means of a steam elevator. From this 
structure an admirable view of the city is obtained 
and its topography fixed clearly upon the mind. At 



172 DUE NORTH. 

a single glance as it were, one overlooks the charming 
marine view of the Baltic with its busy traffic, while 
in the opposite direction the hundreds of islands that 
dot Lake Maelaren form a wide-spread picture of 
varied beauty. The bird's-eye view obtained of the 
environs of the capital is unique, since in the immedi- 
ate vicinity of the city lies the primeval forest, undis- 
turbed and unimproved. This seems the more singu- 
lar when we realize how ancient a place Stockholm is, 
having been fortified and made his capital by Birger 
Jarl, between seven and eight hundred years ago. 
Though Sweden unlike Norway has no heroic age, so 
to speak, connecting her earliest exploits with the 
fate of other countries, still no secondary European 
power has enacted so brilliant a part in modern his- 
tory as have those famous Swedish monarchs Gusta- 
vus Yasa, Gustavus Adolphus, and Charles XII. The 
latter fought all Europe, — Danes, Russians, Poles, 
Germans, — and gave away a kingdom before he was 
twenty years of age. It was he who at his coronation 
snatched the crown from the hand of the archbishop 
and set it proudly on his head with his own hands. 

Some of the local attractions of the city are the 
National Museum, built of granite and marble in the 
Venetian Renaissance style, the Academy of Sciences, 
the Art Museum, the Town Hall, and the Royal Pal- 
ace ; but we will not weary the reader with detailed 
accounts of them. The Royal Palace, like that at 
Christiania, is an exceedingly plain building, with a 
granite basement and stuccoed bricks above, form- 



KING OSCAR II. 173 

ing an immense quadrangular edifice. Though it is 
very simple externally, it is yet finely proportioned, 
and stands upon the highest point of the central 
island. Its present master, King Oscar II., is an 
accomplished artist, poet, musician, and an admir- 
able linguist, nobly fulfilling the requirements of his 
responsible position. He has been justly called the 
ideal sovereign of the age, and the more the world 
knows of him the more fully this estimate will be 
confirmed. His court, while it is one of the most un- 
pretentious, is yet one of the most refined in Europe. 
It is not surprising therefore that the King enjoys a 
popularity among his subjects characterized by uni- 
versal confidence, respect, and love. The State de- 
partments of the palace are very elegant, and are 
freely shown to strangers at all suitable times. In 
the grand State Hall is the throne of silver originally 
occupied by Queen Christina, while the Hall of 
Mirrors appears as though it might have come out of 
Aladdin's Palace. Amid all the varied attractions 
of art and historic associations, the splendid Banquet- 
ing Hall, the galleries of painting and statuary, the 
Concert Room, audience chambers, saloons hung with 
Gobelin tapestry, and gilded boudoirs, one simple 
chamber impressed us most. It was the bed-room of 
Charles XIV. (Marshal Bernadotte), which has re- 
mained unchanged and unused since the time of his 
death, his old campaign cloak of Swedish blue still 
lying upon the bed. The clock upon the mantle-piece 
significantly points to the hour and the minute of the 



174 DUE NORTH. 

monarch's death. The life and remarkable career of 
the dead King flashed across the memory as we stood 
for a moment beside these suggestive souvenirs. It 
was recalled how he began life as a common soldier 
in the French army, rising with rapidity by reason 
of his military genius to be a Marshal of France, and 
finally to sit upon the Swedish throne. Bernadotte, 
Prince of Ponte Corvo, is the only one of Napo- 
leon's generals whose descendants still occupy a 
throne. 

The Royal Library is said to be a very choice col- 
lection of books in all modern languages, occupying 
a hall which extends over nearly the entire length 
of one wing of the palace, and contains a hundred 
thousand bound volumes. One of the most conspicu- 
ous objects seen from its windows is the Riddarsholm 
Church, a lofty, Gothic structure of red brick, and the 
Westminster Abbey of the metropolis. Its tall open- 
work spire of iron tracery reaches towards the sky as 
though it would pierce the blue vault, forming a con- 
spicuous object for the eye of the traveller who ap- 
proaches the city by water. This old church, with its 
banner-hung arches, possesses considerable historic 
interest. There is significance in the fact that its 
chime of bells is only heard on the occasion of royal 
funerals. The broad aisle is filled with grand colossal 
statuary by Sergei, Bystrom, and other native sculp- 
tors. In one of the chapels is the tomb of Gustavus 
Adolphus, and in another repose the ashes of the 
youthful hero Charles XII. A long line of Swedish 



THE CHURCHES OF STOCKHOLM. 175 

monarchs also rest beneath the Riddarsholm Church. 
The central floor is covered with gravestones bearing 
the titles of historic characters and of heroic names, 
in the study of which and recalling of their mingled 
histories hours glide swiftly away. There is a chapel 
of relics attached to the church which contains many 
valuable historic souvenirs. In the large square bear- 
ing the name of Birger Jarl's Torg, near by the church 
just described, stands a bronze statue of this former 
ruler and founder of the city, who was a great reform- 
er in his day, living until 1266. It was modelled by 
Fogelberg, and represents the famous original in the 
armor which was common in the twelfth century, the 
general effect being artistic and impressive ; but it is 
by no means faultless. The pedestal is formed by a 
heavy dwarfed pillar, which places the statue too far 
above the line of sight for good effect. The church of 
Adolphus Frederick is built in the form of a cross, and 
is rendered quite conspicuous by its large tower, which 
is crowned by a copper dome. This church is just a 
century old. A monument was observed within its 
walls erected to the memory of Descartes, the famous 
French philosopher, who died at Stockholm in 1650, 
but whose remains were finally removed to Paris. 
The most conspicuous dome and tower in the city is 
that of the Ladugardslands Church, surmounting an 
octagon structure two centuries old. St. Catherine's 
Church is the highest in the metropolis, and is built 
in the Grecian cross shape, with a lofty dome and five 
spires. Its erection dates back two hundred years. 



176 DUE NORTH. 

The population of Stockholm seems to consist of a 
cheerful, prosperous, and contented people, though few 
remarkable signs of luxury or opulence meet the eye 
of a stranger. The shops on the principal streets 
are elegantly arrayed, and in the spacious windows 
choice merchandise, books, pictures, and jewelry are 
tastefully displayed. There are not better supplied or 
more attractive shops on the Rue de la Paix or the 
Italian Boulevard of Paris. A ceaseless activity reigns 
along the thoroughfares, among the little steam gon- 
dolas upon the many water-ways, and the myriad of 
passenger steamers which ply upon the lake. Many 
pleasure seekers throng the small parks in the city, 
while others seek the more extensive and distant 
Djurgard, or " Deer Park," in the environs. These 
are the finest grounds of the sort and by far the most 
extensive devoted to such a purpose which the author 
has chanced to see. This remarkable pleasure resort, 
originally laid out as a deer park by Gustavus III., oc- 
cupies an entire island by itself, and is some miles in 
circumference, beautified with inviting drives, grassy 
glades, rocky knolls, Swiss cottages, Italian veran- 
das, and containing innumerable thrifty trees, among 
which are some of the noblest oaks to be found out- 
side of England. Refreshment booths, cafes, music 
halls, marionette theatres, gymnastic apparatus, and 
various other means of public amusement are liberally 
distributed over the wide-spread area. It is the great 
summer resort of the populace for picnicing, pleasure 
outings, and Sunday holidays. The environs far and 






PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS IN STOCKHOLM. 177 

near, including the Deer Park, are easily and cheaply 
reached by small steam launches, or by tramway, at 
any hour of the day or evening. 

No population known to the author is so thoroughly 
devoted to public amusement as are the citizens of the 
Swedish capital during the warm season; the brief 
summer is indeed made the most of by all classes in 
the enjoyment of out-door life. Beginning at an 
early hour of the day and continuing until past mid- 
night, gayety reigns supreme from the middle of June 
until the end of August. To a stranger it seems to be 
one ceaseless holiday, leading one to ask what period 
the people devote to their business occupations. It is 
surprising to observe how many theatres, circuses, 
concerts, fairs, casinos, field sports and garden enter- 
tainments are liberally supported by a population of 
less than two hundred thousand. At night the tide 
of life flows fast and furious until the small hours, 
the town and its environs being, ablaze with gas and 
electric lights. The little omnibus steamers which 
flit about like fire-flies are, like the tramways, taxed to 
their utmost capacity, while the air is full of music 
from military bands. It is the summer gayety of the 
Champs Elysees thrice multiplied by a community 
which does not number one tenth of the aggregated 
population of the great French capital. Not one but 
every day in the week forms a link in the continuous 
chain of revelling hours, until on the Sabbath the gay- 
ety culminates in a grand fete day of pleasure-outings 
for men, women, and children. Scores of steamers 

12 



178 DUE NORTH. 

gayly dressed in flags and crowded with passengers 
start in the early morning of this day for excursions 
on Lake Maelaren, or to visit some pleasure resort on 
the Baltic, while the Deer Park and public gardens 
of the city resound all day and night with mirth and 
music. 

The Royal Opera House is a plain substantial struc- 
ture on the Gustaf -Adolf -Torg, built by Gustavus III. 
in 1775, and will seat fifteen hundred persons. A mu- 
sic-loving Swede told us of the ddbut of Jenny Lind 
years ago in this dramatic temple, and also described 
that of Christine Nilsson, which occurred more re- 
cently. The excellent acoustic properties of the 
Stockholm Opera House are admitted by famous vocal- 
ists to be nearly unequalled. It was here, at a gay 
masquerade ball on the morning of March 15, 1792, 
that Gustavus III. was fatally wounded by a shot from 
an assassin, one of the conspirators among the nobil- 
ity. Our place of sojourn while in Stockholm was 
at the Hotel Rydberg, which overlooks the Gustaf- 
Adolf-Torg. Directly opposite our windows, across 
the bridge where the waters of the Baltic and Lake 
Maelaren join, was the Royal Palace, situated upon 
a commanding site. On the right of the square and 
forming one whole side of it was the Crown Prince's 
palace; on the left was the Opera House, with an 
equal frontage ; while in the centre stood the eques- 
trian bronze statue of Gustavus Adolphus. On the 
low ground beside the bridge leading to the royal pal- 
ace close to the water was one of those picturesque 



AN ANCIENT DUDE. 179 

pleasure-gardens for which the town is famous, where 
under the trees hung with fancy lamps an animated 
crowd assembled nightly to enjoy the music of the 
military band and to partake of all sorts of refresh- 
ments, but mainly consisting of Swedish punch, Scan- 
dinavian beer, or coffee. The distance of this pleasure- 
garden from the hotel was just sufficient to harmonize 
the music with one's mood, and to lull the drowsy 
senses to sleep when the hour for retiring arrived. 

Following the motley crowd one evening, indiff- 
erent as to where it might lead, the author found 
himself on board one of the little omnibus steamers, 
which in about fifteen minutes landed its passengers 
at the Deer Park, near the entrance to which a perma- 
nent circus establishment seemed to be the attraction ; 
so purchasing a ticket in our turn, we entered with 
a crowd which soon filled the auditorium. Over two 
thousand spectators found accommodation within the 
walls. The performance was excellent and of the 
usual variety, including a ballet. Occupying a seat by 
our side was a man of about seventy years of age, 
whose white hair, mutton-chop whiskers, and snowy 
moustache were cut and dressed after the daintiest 
fashion. He was a little below the average size, and 
was in excellent preservation for one of his years. 
It was observed that his hands and feet were as small 
as those of a young school-girl. He was in full even- 
ing dress, with a button-hole bouquet in his coat 
lapel, held in place by a diamond clasp. On three of 
the fingers of each hand were diamond rings reaching 



180 DUE NORTH. 

to the middle joints. Diamonds mingled with rubies 
and pearls glistened upon his wrists, upon which lie 
wore ladies' bracelets. His tawdry watch-chain was 
heavy with brilliants. In his necktie was a large dia- 
mond, and a star-shaped clustre of small ones fur- 
nished him with a breastpin. In short, this antique 
dude sparkled all over like a jeweller's shop-window. 
Each of the ballet-girls had a sign of recognition for 
the gay Lothario, who exchanged signals with several 
of the women performers. We felt sure that he must 
be some well-known character about town, and upon 
returning to the hotel described him and asked who 
he was. " Oh ! " said the proprietor, " that was the 
Portuguese Minister ! " 

Some of the public streets of the city are quite 
steep, so as to be impassable for vehicles, — like those 
of Valetta in the island of Malta, and those in the 
English part of Hong Kong. The northern suburb 
is the most fashionable part of Stockholm, containing 
the newest streets and the finest private residences. 
Among the statues which ornament the public squares 
and gardens, that of Charles XII. in King's Park is 
perhaps the most remarkable, — he whom Motley called 
" the crowned gladiator." It stands upon a pedestal 
of Swedish granite, surrounded by four heavy mortars 
placed at the corners, — spoils which were taken by 
the youthful hero in battle. Touching the individual 
figure, which is of bronze and colossal, it struck us 
as full of incongruities, and not at all creditable to 
the well-known designer Molin. 



THE DALECARLIAN GIRLS. 181 

The Swedish and Norwegian languages are very 
similar, and, as we were assured by persons of both 
nationalities, they are becoming gradually amalga- 
mated. The former is perhaps the softer tongue and 
its people the more musical, as those two delightful 
vocalists and envoys from thence, Jenny Lind and 
Christine Nilsson, would lead us to infer. Both 
countries are undoubtedly poor in worldly riches, but 
yet they expend larger sums of money for educational 
purposes in proportion to the number of their popula- 
tion than any other country except America. The 
result here is manifest in a marked degree of general 
intelligence diffused among all classes. One is natur- 
ally reminded in this Swedish capital of Linnaeus and 
Swedenborg, both of whom were born here. The 
latter graduated at the famous University of Upsala, 
the former in the greater school of out-door Nature. 
Swedenborg was as eminent a scientist as religionist, 
and to him was first intrusted the engineering of the 
Gotha Canal ; but his visionary peculiarities growing 
upon him it was found necessary to substitute a more 
practical individual, so that the great work was event- 
ually completed by Sweden's most famous engineer 
and mechanician, Kristofer Polhem. 

The stranger often meets in the streets of Stock- 
holm a conspicuous class of peasant women dressed 
very neatly but somewhat gaudily in stripes and high 
colors, wearing a peculiar head-gear. They are from 
Dalecarlia, with sun-burned cheeks, splendid teeth, 
bright serious eyes, soft light hair worn in braids 



182 DUE NORTH. 

hanging down their backs, and universally possessing 
sturdy, well-shaped forms. These women are from a 
favored province of Sweden, and for a long time en- 
joyed a monopoly of the many ferry-boats of the city, 
it having been accorded to them by royal consent in 
consideration of the patriotism exhibited by them, and 
of aid which the women of that ancient province gave 
to the cause of the throne at a critical moment in Swe- 
dish history. Dalecarlian girls on arriving at a suit- 
able age have for many generations been in the habit 
of coming to the capital and remaining long enough 
to earn by their industry sufficient means to return 
home, become married, and set up their households 
for life. The small omnibus-steamers have superseded 
the row-boat ferries, but still the women of this prov- 
ince come to the city all the same, pursuing various 
occupations of a laborious character, but always re- 
taining their native costumes. Swedish provinces 
have each to a certain extent a special style of dress 
to which they tenaciously adhere, as the several High- 
land clans of Scotland do to their plaids and colors. 
These girls are often engaged by wealthy families as 
nurses for their children ; some few are to be seen at 
service in the cafe's and public gardens, others are 
engaged as porters, who transport light packages 
while pushing before them a small two-wheeled hand- 
cart. They certainly form a very picturesque feature 
with their peculiar costume of striped aprons, party- 
colored waists, and tall caps, recalling the Italian 
models one sees on the Spanish Stairs of the Piazza 



THE STOCKHOLM NATIONAL MUSEUM. 183 

di Spagna in Rome. As a rule, in point of morals 
they are represented to be beyond reproach ; but some 
of them inevitably drift into temptation, and become 
lost to their country and home ties. But even under 
these sad circumstances, the Dalecarlian girls adhere 
tenaciously to their peasant costume to the last. The 
pride which prevents them from returning to their vil- 
lage homes after the blandishments have faded which 
led them astray, often prompts them to seek a watery 
grave in the Lake Maelaren. 

The National Museum is a fine modern structure 
three stories in height, the facade ornamented with 
appropriate statues and medallions, among which was 
one of Linnaeus. On entering the edifice three colos- 
sal marble figures attract the eye, representing the 
chief deities of Scandinavian mythology, Odin, Thor, 
and Freyr; but as regards the curiosities collected 
here, they are in no way remarkable, being much like 
those of other collections. One exception should be 
made, however, in favor of the cabinet of ancient 
coins, which is very complete and attractive ; it is 
claimed for it that there is no other in Europe of 
equal interest or importance. The collection of an- 
cient Arabian coins is unique, and would delight the 
heart of the simplest numismatist. There is a large 
gallery of paintings in the upper story of the Museum, 
with a few examples of the old masters and many of 
the modern schools. In the open square before the 
National Museum is to be seen the original of the 
bronze group described in our chapter upon Gotten- 



184 DUE NORTH. 

burg. This remarkable production, called the " Girdle- 
Duellists," is the masterpiece of the Swedish artist 
Molin, and is undoubtedly the finest piece of sculpture 
to be seen in the country. The pedestal is ornamented 
with four reliefs representing the origin and issue of 
the combat, with Runic inscriptions signifying " Jeal- 
ousy," " Drinking," " Beginning of the Combat," and 
the " Widow's Lament." It seemed surprising to us 
that an artist capable of such admirable work as this 
justly famous group represents, could also have been 
the author of that hideous conception, the bronze 
statue of Charles XII., so conspicuously placed in the 
King's Park of Stockholm. 

One of the most popular of the many cafe's and 
pleasure-gardens either in the city proper or its en- 
virons, is that known as Hasseibacken, which is situ- 
ated quite near to the Deer Park. This garden is 
crowded day and evening during the warm season 
with hundreds of visitors intent upon enjoying the 
various entertainments characterizing this resort, 
among which excellent instrumental and vocal music 
forms a specialty, while refreshments of every sort 
are served by an army of white-aproned and active 
waiters. A broad Turkish pavilion forms the prin- 
cipal concert-room at Hasseibacken, picturesquely fit- 
ted up for the purpose. In these grounds, under an 
ancient oak which reared its tall head proudly above 
all its neighbors, there was observed a fine statue of 
Bellman the composer, who, as we learned, was accus- 
tomed a century ago to sit in this spot and' sing his 






TEE ROYAL COTTAGE OF ROSEDALE. 185 

compositions to his assembled friends, accompanying 
himself on his favorite instrument the cithern. The 
sculptor Nystrom has reproduced the poet in bronze ; 
and the composition is both beautiful as an ideal- 
historical monument and excellent in an artistic point 
of view. Fountains and flower-beds abound on all 
sides in these inviting grounds, the sylvan aspect 
being carefully and ingeniously preserved. 

While driving in the Deer Park we accidentally 
came upon the royal cottage of Rosedale, which was 
built by Charles XIV. about sixty years ago, and 
was the favorite summer residence of the Queen- 
dowager Josephine. It is a most delightful rural 
retreat, surrounded by hothouses, graperies, flower- 
plots, broad gravelled walks, and trees in great vari- 
ety. Some of the ancient oaks about Rosedale are of 
special beauty and of noble development, challenging 
the admiration of every stranger. In the rear of the 
royal cottage is a remarkable porphyry urn in three 
parts, foot, stem, and crown, — being nearly forty feet 
in circumference, and weighing, we were told, over 
fifty thousand pounds. Charles XIV. took great pride 
in perfecting the Deer Park as a place of public resort 
and pleasure, for which object he expended large sums 
from his private purse. From Rosedale one can re- 
turn to the city by boat or by a drive over the pleasant, 
well-macadamized roads which intersect the country 
lying between the Baltic and Lake Maelaren. 

Upsala is the oldest town in the country as well as 
the historical and educational centre of the kingdom, 



186 DUE NORTH. 

situated just fifty miles from Stockholm, and may be 
reached either by boat or by rail. Going in one way 
and returning by the other adds a pleasing variety to 
the trip, which by starting early in the morning can 
be satisfactorily consummated in a single day. This 
is the Cambridge of Sweden, — the name Upsala sig- 
nifying the " Lofty Halls." It was the royal capital of 
the country for more than a thousand years, and was 
the locality of the great temple of Thor, now replaced 
by a Christian cathedral which was over two centuries 
in building. " The religion of one age is the literary 
entertainment of the next," says Emerson. The more 
modern structure is in the Gothic style, built of brick, 
and the site being on elevated ground renders it very 
effective. Originally it had three spires four hundred 
feet high; but these were destroyed by lightning in 
1702, and were afterwards replaced by the present 
two incongruous towers of circumscribed elevation, 
and which do not at all accord with the original 
architectural design of the structure. This spot in 
the Pagan ages was a famous resort for sacrifices. 
History, or at least legend tells us that in those days 
the original temple was surrounded by a sacred grove 
wherein the sacrifices were made to propitiate the 
deities worshipped there, — human blood being con- 
sidered the most acceptable. So powerful was the 
heathenish infatuation, that parents even immolated 
their children. An account is still extant of seventy- 
two bodies of human beings being seen here at one 
time, suspended and dead upon the trees. Odin was 



THE UNIVERSITY OF UPSALA. 187 

once a sacred deity here; now the name represents 
among the peasantry that of the Devil. The present 
temple in its architectural aspect is nearly a duplicate 
of Notre Dame in Paris, and is the largest cathedral 
in the north of Europe. The same architect, Etienne 
de Bonne vil, designed them both, and came to Upsala, 
accompanied by a small army of mechanics from 
France, to begin the work which was destined, from 
various causes, to linger along through two cen- 
turies. The interior is impressive from its severe 
simplicity. The flying buttresses inside the structure 
give a peculiarly striking effect. Between each of 
them is a small chapel. The vaulting is supported 
by twenty-four soaring pillars. The dead, cold walls 
are finished in glaring whitewash without any relief. 
Under the altar is an elaborate and much-venerated 
shrine of silver containing the ashes of Saint Eric, 
the patron saint of Sweden. 

Upsala has often been the scene of fierce and 
bloody conflicts. Saint Eric was slain here in 1161. 
It has its university and its historical associations; 
but it has neither trade nor commerce of any sort 
beyond that of a small inland town, — its streets never 
being disturbed by business activity or the " fever of 
living,' ? though there is a population here of at least 
fifteen or sixteen thousand persons. The University, 
founded in 1477 and richly endowed by Gustavus 
Adolphus, is the just pride of the country, — having 
to-day some fifteen hundred students and forty-eight 
competent professors. No one can enter the profes- 



188 DUE NORTH. 

sion of law, medicine, or divinity in Sweden who has 
not graduated either at this University or at that of 
Lund. Its library contains nearly or quite two hun- 
dred thousand bound volumes and over seven thou- 
sand important manuscripts. Among the latter is a 
copy of the four Gospels, with movable silver letters 
placed on parchment at the chapter heads, the whole 
being in the old Gothic language. This book, named 
" Codex Argenteus," contains nearly two hundred 
folios, and was made by Bishop Ulphilas one thou- 
sand years before Gutenberg was born. It was in 
this University that Linnaeus, the great naturalist, 
was professor of botany and zoology for nearly forty 
years. His statue still very properly ornaments the 
lecture-room, and his journal is shown to visitors in 
the large hall of the library. 

The former dwelling house of Linnaeus may be seen 
by tourists at Upsala, where he lived among his well- 
beloved flora, planted and tended by his own hands. 
His remains lie interred within the cathedral under a 
mural tablet of red porphyry, bearing upon the surface 
a portrait of the grand old naturalist by Sergei, in bas- 
relief. Many of the tombs and tablets in the aisles bore 
dates of more than five hundred years ago, but none 
interested us so much as that of Linnaeus the great 
disciple of Nature. This humble shoemaker by force 
of his genius alone rose to be a prince in the kingdom 
of Science. Botany and Zoology have never known a 
more eminent exponent than the lowly-born Karl von 
Linne*, whom the Swedes very appropriately denomi- 



AN OLD CHURCH AT UPSALA. 189 

nate the King of Flowers. A certain knowledge of 
plants and of natural history forms a part of the pri- 
mary education of every Swede. At Upsala one has 
abundant evidence to show how liberally the Govern- 
ment of the country fosters education among all 
classes, and also that special attention is given to the 
education of women. 

About three or four miles from the University is 
the village of Old Upsala, where there are three huge 
tumuli said to contain the remains of Pagan deities. 
One is here forcibly reminded of the North American 
mound -builders. In Illinois the author has seen ex- 
amples double the size of these at Upsala, while in 
the State of Ohio there are thousands of these tumuli 
to be seen. Adjoining the three mounds at Upsala 
is a quaint little church, more than two thousand 
years old, built of rough field-stones. It contains a 
monument to Anders Celsius the Swedish astronomer 
and some ancient ecclesiastical vessels, also some 
old pictures upon canvas nearly consumed by mould. 
The huge key with which the door was opened to ad- 
mit the author bore a date of six centuries ago. We 
noticed some Pagan idols in wood preserved in an 
oaken chest inside the old church,. which dated about 
the eleventh century. What a venerable, crude, and 
miraculously-preserved old pile it is ! Who can say 
that inanimate objects are not susceptible to minute 
impressions which they retain ? Has not the phono- 
graph proven that it receives mechanically, through 
the waves of sound, spoken words, which it records 



190 DUE NORTH. 

and repeats? What then may possibly be retained 
in the memory of this old, old church, which has kept 
watch and ward on the footsteps of time, these two 
thousand years ! Few temples are now in existence 
which are known to antedate the Christian era, but 
undoubtedly these gray old walls form one of them. 
The three mounds referred to — the tombs of heroes in 
their lifetime, gods in their death — are said to be those 
of Thor, Odin, and Freyr. They were found easy of 
ascent, and were covered with a soft, fresh verdure, 
from whence we gathered a bouquet of native thyme 
and various colored wild-flowers which were brought 
back with us to Stockholm. Near these mounds is 
also a hill of forty or fifty feet in height called Ting- 
shog, from which all the kings down to Gustavus 
Vasa used to address their subjects. In this same 
neighborhood also are the famous Mora Stones, where 
in the Middle Ages the election ceremony and the 
crowning of the Swedish kings took place with great 
solemnity. Tangible evidence as well as the pages of 
history show Upsala to have been the great stronghold 
of Paganism, and here the apostles of Christianity 
encountered the most determined opposition. There 
are many other mounds in the vicinity of the three 
specified, all undoubted burial-places erected ages ago. 
The highest one, measuring sixty-four perpendicular 
feet, was cut through in 1874 to enable the Ethnolo- 
gical Congress then assembled here to examine the 
inside. There were found within it a skeleton and 
some fragments of arms and jewelry, which are now 



SWEDENBORG'S STUDY. 191 

preserved in the Museum at Stockholm. We were 
told that another of these mounds was opened in a 
similar manner nearly fifty years ago, with a like re- 
sult as to its contents. 

Before leaving the Swedish capital a spot of more 
than passing interest was visited ; namely, the garden 
and summer-house in which Emanuel Swedenborg, 
philosopher and theosophist, wrote his remarkable 
works. It seems strange that here in his native city 
this man as a religionist had no followers. It is be- 
lieved to-day by many in Stockholm that he wrote 
under a condition of partial derangement of mind. 
The house which he owned and in which he lived has 
crumbled away and disappeared, but his summer- 
house study — a small close building fifteen feet in 
height and about eighteen feet square — is still extant. 
In most countries such a relic would be carefully pre- 
served, and made to answer the purpose of an exhibi- 
tion to the visiting strangers ; but here no special note 
is taken of it, and not without some difficulty could it 
be found. One intelligent resident even denied the 
existence of this object of inquiry, but a little persis- 
tent effort at last discovered the interesting old study 
at No. 43 Hornsgatan, a few streets in the rear of the 
Royal Palace, from which it is about one half of a 
mile distant. 

Every one is amenable to the influence of the weather. 
Had the same dull dripping atmosphere greeted us at 
Stockholm which was encountered at Bergen, perhaps 
the impression left upon the memory would have been 



192 DUE NORTH. 

less propitious, but the exact contrary was the case. 
The days passed here were warm, bright, and sunny ; 
everything wore a holiday aspect ; life was at its gay- 
est among the citizens as seen in the public gardens, 
streets, and squares, even the big white sea-gulls that 
swooped gracefully over the many water-ways, though 
rather queer habitues of a populous city, seemed to be 
uttering cries of bird merriment. In short our entire 
experience of the Swedish capital is tinctured with 
pleasurable memories. 



CHAPTER XI. 

The Northern Mediterranean. — Depth of the Sea. — Where Amber 
comes From. — A Thousand Isles. — City of Abo. — Departed 
Glory. — Capital of Finland. — Local Scenes. — Russian Govern- 
ment. — Finland's Dependency. — Billingsgate. — A Woman Sailor 
in an Exigency. — Fortress of Sweaborg. — Fortifications of Cron- 
stadt. — Russia's Great Naval Station. — The Emperor's Steam 
Yacht. — A Sail Up the Neva. — St. Petersburg in the Distance. — 
First Russian Dinner. 

Embarking at Stockholm for St. Petersburg one 
crosses the Baltic, — that Mediterranean of the North, 
but which is in reality a remote branch of the Atlantic 
Ocean, with which it is connected by two gulfs, the 
Cattegat and the Skager-Rack. It reaches from the 
south of the Danish archipelago up to the latitude of 
Stockholm, where it extends a right and left arm, each 
of great size, the former being the Gulf of Finland, 
and the latter the Gulf of Bothnia, the whole forming 
the most remarkable basin of navigable inland water 
in the world. The Finnish Gulf is two hundred miles 
long by an average width of sixty miles, and that of 
Bothnia is four hundred miles long averaging a hun- 
dred in width. The peninsula of Denmark, known 
under the name of Jutland, stands like a barrier be- 
tween the Baltic and the North Sea, midway between 
the two extremes of the general western configuration 

13 



194 DUE NORTH. 

of the continent of Europe. We have called the 
Baltic the Mediterranean of the North, but it has no 
such depth as that classic inland sea, which finds its 
bed in a cleft of marvellous depression between Europe 
and Africa. One thousand fathoms of sounding-line 
off Gibraltar will not reach the bottom, and two thou- 
sand fathoms fail to find it a few miles east of Malta. 
The maximum depth of the Baltic on the contrary is 
found to be only a hundred and fifty fathoms, while 
its average depth is considerably less than a hundred 
fathoms. It cannot be said that these waters deserve 
the expressive epithet which has been applied to the 
sea that laves the coast of Italy and the Grecian 
Isles ; namely, " The cradle of the human race," but 
yet the ages ancient and modern have not been with- 
out their full share of startling episodes in these more 
northern regions. 

It is a curious though familiar fact that the waters of 
the Baltic, or rather the bottom of the basin in which 
it lies, is rich in amber, which the agitated waters 
cast upon the shores in large quantities annually, — 
a process which has been going on here for three or 
four centuries at least. We all know that amber 
is an indurated fossil resin produced by an extinct 
species of pine ; so that it is evident that where these 
waters ebb and flow there were once flourishing forests 
of amber pines. These were doubtless submerged by 
the gradual encroachment of the sea, or suddenly 
engulfed by some grand volcanic action of Nature. 
Pieces of the bark and the cones of the pine-tree are 



FROM STOCKHOLM TO ST. PETERSBURG. 195 

often found adhering to the amber, and insects of a 
kind unknown to our day are also found embedded in 
its yellow depths. The largest piece of amber extant 
is in the Berlin Museum, and is about the size of a 
child's head. This is dark and lacks transparency, a 
quality which is particularly sought for by those who 
trade in the article. It is known that the peninsula 
of Scandinavia is gradually becoming elevated above 
the surrounding waters at the north, and depressed 
in an equal ratio in the extreme south, — a fact which 
is held to be of great interest among geologists. The 
total change in the level lias been carefully observed 
and recorded by scientific commissions, and the aggre- 
gate certified to is a trifle over three feet occurring in 
a period of a hundred and eighteen years. 

We took passage on a neat little steamer of about 
four hundred tons which plies regularly between the 
capitals of Sweden and Russia, stopping on the way 

o 

at Abo and Helsingfors, a distance in all of about six 
hundred miles. By this route, after crossing the open 
sea, one passes through an almost endless labyrinth 
of picturesque islands in the Gulf of Finland, includ- 
ing the archipelago known as the Aland Isles, besides 
many isolated ones quite near to the coast of Finland. 
This forms a most delightful sail, the waters being 
nearly always smooth, except during a few hours of 
necessary exposure in the open Gulf. The islands are 
generally covered with a variety of trees and attrac- 
tive verdure, many of them being also improved for 
the purpose of small farms, embracing appropriate 



196 DUE NORTH. 

clusters of buildings, about which were grouped do- 
mestic cattle and bevies of merry children, making 
memorable pictures as we wound in and out among 
them pursuing the course of the channel. The great 
contrast between these low-lying verdant islands and 
those lofty, frowning, jagged, and snow-capped ones 
which we had so lately encountered in the far North 
was striking indeed. By and by we enter the fjord 
which leads up to Abo from the Gulf, which is also 
dotted here and there by the most beautiful, garden- 
like islands imaginable, and upon which are built 
many pretty chalets, forming the summer homes of 
the citizens of Finmark's former capital. It would 
be difficult to name a trip of a mingled sea-and-land 
character so thoroughly delightful ; it constantly and 
vividly recalled the thousand islands of the St. Law- 
rence in North America, and the Inland Sea of Japan. 

o 

The town of Abo has a population of about twenty-five 
thousand, who are mostly of Swedish descent. It is 
thrifty, cleanly, and wears an aspect of quiet pros- 
perity. The place is venerable. in years, and has a 
record reaching back for over seven centuries. Here 
the Russian flag — red, blue, and white — first begins 
to greet one from all appropriate points, and more 
especially from the shipping ; but we almost uncon- 
sciously pass from one nationality to another where 
the dividing lines are of so mingled a character. The 
most prominent building to catch the stranger's eye 
on entering the harbor is the long barrack-like prison 
upon a hillside. In front of us loomed up the famous 



ABO AND HELSINGFORS. 197 

old castle of Abo, awkward and irregular in shape, 
and snow white. Here in the olden time Gustavus 
Vasa, Eric XI V., and John III. held royal court. 
The streets are few but very broad, which causes the 
town to cover an area quite out of proportion to the 
number of its inhabitants. The buildings are all 
modern, as the fire-fiend destroyed nearly the entire 
place so late as 1827, when nine hundred buildings 
and over were consumed within the space of a few 
hours. 

The Russian Chapel is a conspicuous and charac- 
teristic building, and so is the Astronomical Observa- 
tory, situated on the highest eminence in the town. 
This structure has lately been converted into a scien- 
tific school. Crowds of pupils were filing out of its 
doors just as we made fast to the shore in full view. 
The cathedral is an object of some interest, and con- 

o 

tains many curious relics. Abo however is a very 
quiet little town, whose glory has departed since it 
ceased in 1819 to be the political capital of Finland. 
It formerly boasted a University, but that institution 
and its large library were swept away by the fire 
already mentioned. 

Helsingfors is situated still farther up the Gulf, 
facing the ancient town of Revel on the Esthonian 

o 

coast, and is reached from Abo in about twelve hours' 
sail, also through a labyrinth of islands so numerous as 
to be quite confusing, but whose picturesqueness and 
beauty will not easily be forgotten. This is the pres- 
ent capital of Finland, and it contains from fifty to 



198 DUE NORTH. 

fifty-five thousand inhabitants, but has several times 
been partially destroyed by plague, famine, and fire. 
It was founded by Gustavus Yasa of Sweden, in the 
sixteenth century. The University is represented to be 
of a high standard of excellence, and contains a library 
of about two hundred thousand volumes. A gentle- 
man who was himself a graduate of the institution 
and a fellow passenger on the steamer, entertained us 
with an interesting account of the educational system 
enforced here. The present number of students ex- 
ceeds seven hundred, and there are forty professors 
attached to the institution, which is the oldest univer- 
sity in Russia, having been founded as far back as 
1640. It is interesting to recall the fact that printing 
was not introduced into Finland until a year later. 

The most striking feature of Helsingfors as one ap- 
proaches it from the sea is the large Greek Church 
with its fifteen domes and minarets, each capped by a 
glittering cross and crescent with pendant chains in 
gilt, and as it is built upon high ground the whole is 
very effective. The Lutheran Church is also pictur- 
esque and notable, with its five domes sparkling with 
gilded stars upon a dark green ground, a style of 
finish quite new to us, but which became familiar 
after visiting the interior of Russia. The approach 
to the entrance of this church is formed by many 
granite steps, which extend across the base of the 
fac,ade and are over two hundred feet in width. The 
streets of the town are handsomely and evenly paved, 
of good width, and bordered with excellent raised 



FINLAND'S RELATIONS TO RUSSIA. 199 

side-walks, — a convenience too generally wanting in 
old European cities and towns. Through the centre 
of some of the main streets a broad walk is con- 
structed, lined on either side by trees of the linden 
family, and very ornamental. The buildings are im- 
posing architecturally, being mostly in long uniform 
blocks, quite Parisian in effect. Several large build- 
ings were observed in course of construction, and there 
were many tokens of prosperity manifest on all hands. 
The Imperial Palace is a plain but substantial build- 
ing, with heavy Corinthian pillars in front. Its situa- 
tion seemed to us a little incongruous, being located 
in a commercial centre quite near the wharves. 

We need hardly remind the reader that Finland is 
a dependency of Russia ; yet it is nearly as indepen- 
dent as is Norway of Sweden. Finland is ruled by a 
governor-general assisted by the Imperial Senate, over 
which a representative of the Emperor of Russia pre- 
sides. There is also resident at St. Petersburg a 
Secretary of State, so to designate the official, for Fin- 
land. Still, the country pays no tribute to Russia. 
It imposes its own taxes, and forms its own codes of 
law ; so that Norway, as regards constitutional liberty, 
is scarcely freer or more democratic. When Finland 
was joined to Russia, Alexander I. assured the people 
that the integrity of their constitution and religion 
should be protected ; and this promise has thus far 
been honestly kept by the dominant power. 

The port of Helsingfors is defended by the large 
and famous fortress of Sweaborg, which repelled the 



200 DUE NORTH. 

English and French fleets during the Crimean war. It 
was constructed by the Swedish General Ehrensward, 
who was a poet as well as an excellent military engi- 
neer. The fort is considered to be one of the strong- 
est in the world, and is situated upon seven islands, 
each being connected with the main fortress by tun- 
nels under the waters of the harbor constructed at 
enormous expense, mostly through ledges of solid 
granite. The natural rock of these islands has, in 
fact, been utilized somewhat after the elaborate style 
of Gibraltar. An extensive and most substantial gran- 
ite quay extends along the water in front of the town, 
where a large fleet of fishing-boats managed mostly 
by women is moored daily, with the freshly caught car- 
goes displayed for sale, spread out in great variety 
both upon the immediate shore and on the decks of 
their homely but serviceable little vessels. The energy 
of the fishwomen in their efforts to trade with all 
comers, accompanied by loud expressions and vocifer- 
ous exclamations, led us to think that there might be 
a Finnish Billingsgate as well as an English. While 
we stood watching the busy scene on and near the 
wharves, a fishing-boat of about twenty tons, with 
two masts supporting fore and aft sails and a fore-stay- 
sail, was just getting under way outward bound. The 
boat contained a couple of lads and a middle-aged 
woman, who held the sheet of the mainsail as she 
sat beside the tiller. The little craft had just fairly 
laid her course close-hauled towards the mouth of the 
bay, and was hardly a quarter of a mile from the dock 



CRONSTADT. 201 

when one of the sudden squalls so common in this 
region, accompanied by heavy rain, came down upon 
the craft like a flash, driving her lee gunwales for a 
moment quite under water. The main sheet was in- 
stantly let go, so also with the fore and stay sails, and 
the boat promptly brought to the wind, while the wo- 
man at the helm issued one or two orders to her boy- 
crew which were instantly obeyed. Ten minutes later, 
under a close-reefed foresail, the boat had taken the 
wind upon the opposite tack and was scudding into 
the shelter of the dock, where she was properly made 
fast and her sails quietly furled to await the advent 
of more favorable weather. No experienced seaman 
could have managed the boat better under the circum- 
stances than did this woman. 

After leaving Helsingfors we next come upon Cron- 
stadt, formed by a series of low islands about five miles 
long by one broad, which are important only as for- 
tifications and as being the acknowledged key of St. 
Petersburg, forming also the chief naval station of 
the great empire. The two fortifications of Sweaborg 
and Cronstadt insure to Russia the possession of the 
Gulf of Finland. The cluster of islands which form 
the great Russian naval station are raised above the 
level of the sea barely sufficient to prevent their be- 
ing overflowed, while the foundations of many of the 
minor works are considerably below the surrounding 
waters, which are rather shallow, being less than two 
fathoms in depth. The fortifications are of brick faced 
with granite, and consist mainly of a rounded structure 



202 DUE NORTH. 

with four stories of embrasures, from the top of which 
rises a tall signal-mast supporting the Muscovite flag. 
The arsenals and docks here are very extensive, and 
unsurpassed of their kind in completeness. The best 
machinists in the world find employment here, the 
latest inventions a sure market. In all facilities for 
marine armament Russia is fully abreast of if it does 
not surpass most of the nations of Europe. The quays 
of Cronstadt are built of granite and form a grand 
monument of engineering skill, facing the mouth of 
the Neva, less than twenty miles from the Russian cap- 
ital. Six or eight miles to the south lies Istria, and 
about the same distance to the north is the coast of 
Carelia. The population of the adjoining town will 
aggregate nearly fifty thousand persons, more than 
half of whom belong either directly or indirectly to 
the army or navy. The Russian fleet, consisting of 
iron-clads, rams, torpedo-boats, and sea-going steamers 
of heavy armament, lies at anchor in a spacious har- 
bor behind the forts. The united defences here are 
so strong that the place is reasonably considered to be 
impregnable. An enemy could approach only by a 
narrow winding passage, which is commanded by such 
a cross-fire from the heaviest guns as would sink any 
naval armament now afloat. As we have intimated, 
every fresh improvement in ordnance is promptly 
adopted by Russia, whose army and navy are kept at 
all times if not absolutely upon what is called a war- 
footing, still in a good condition for the commence- 
ment of offensive or defensive warfare. 



SAILING UP THE RIVER NEVA. 203 

As we came into the river from the Gulf we passed 
the Emperor's private steam-yacht, which is a splendid 
side-wheel steamer of about two thousand tons burden. 
She was riding quietly at anchor, a perfect picture of 
nautical beauty. Yet a single order from her quarter- 
deck would instantly dispel this tranquillity, covering 
her decks with sturdy seamen armed to the teeth, 
opening her ports for huge death-dealing cannon, and 
peopling her shrouds with scores of sharp-shooters. 
The captain of our own vessel told us that she was the 
fastest sea-going steamer ever built. Behind the royal 
yacht, some little distance upon the land, the Palace 
and surroundings of Peterhoff were lit up by the sun's 
rays playing upon the collection of gilded and fantas- 
tic domes. It was a fete day. A baby of royal birth 
was to be christened, and the Emperor, Empress, and 
royal household were to assist on the auspicious occa- 
sion ; hence all the out-door world was dressed in na- 
tional flags, and the passenger steamers were crowded 
with people bent upon making a holiday. The sail 
up that queen of northern rivers presented a charm- 
ing panorama. Passenger steamers flitting about 
with well-peopled decks ; noisy tug-boats puffing and 
whistling while towing heavily-laden barges ; naval 
cutters propelled by dozens of white-clad oarsmen, and 
steered by officers in dazzling uniforms ; small sailing 
yachts glancing hither and thither, — all gave life and 
animation to the maritime scene. Here and there on 
the river's course long reaches of sandy shoals would 
appear covered with myriads of white sea-gulls, scores 



204 DUE NORTH. 

of which would occasionally rise, hover over our 
steamer and settle in her wake. As we approached 
nearer and nearer, hundreds of gilded domes and 
towers of the city flashing in the warm light came 
swiftly into view. Some of the spires were of such 
great height in proportion to their diameter as to pre- 
sent a needle-like appearance. Among these reach- 
ing so bravely heavenward were the slender spire of 
the Cathedral of Peter and Paul within the fortress, 
nearly four hundred feet in height, and the lofty pin- 
nacle of the Admiralty. 

Notwithstanding its giddy towers and looming pal- 
aces rising above the level of the capital, the want of 
a little diversity in the grade of the low-lying city is 
keenly felt. Like Berlin or Havana, it is built upon 
a perfect level, the most trying of positions. A few 
custom-house formalities were encountered, but noth- 
ing of which a person could reasonably complain ; 
and half an hour after the steamer had moored to the 
wharf, we drove to the H6tel d'Angleterre, on Isaac's 
Square. Then followed the first stroll in a long- 
dreamed-of city. What a thrilling delight! Every- 
thing so entirely new and strange ; all out-of-doors a 
novelty, from the Greek cross on the top of the lofty 
cupolas to the very pavement under one's feet ; and 
all permeated by a seductive Oriental atmosphere, as 
stimulating to the imagination as hashish. 

We will not describe in detail the bill of fare at the 
first regular meal partaken of in Russia, but must con- 
fess to a degree of surprise at the dish which preceded 






A RUSSIAN DINNER. 205 



the dinner; namely, iced soup. It was certainly a 
novelty to the author, and by no means palatable to 
one not initiated. As near as it was possible to ana- 
lyze the production, it consisted of Russian beer, cu- 
cumbers, onions, and slices of uncooked fish floating 
on the surface amid small pieces of ice. With this 
exception, the menu was not very dissimilar to the 
sparse service of northern European hotels. But let 
us dismiss this mention of food as promptly as we did 
that odious, frosty soup, and prepare to give the reader 
the impressions realized from the grandest city of 
Northern Europe. 



CHAPTER XII. 

St. Petersburg. — Churches. — The Alexander Column. — Principal 
Street. — Cathedral of Peter and Paul. — Nevsky Monastery. — 
Russian Priesthood. — The Canals. — Public Library. — Cruelty of 
an Empress. — Eeligious Devotion of the People. — A Dangerous 
Locality. — Population. — The Neva and Lake Ladoga. — The 
Nicholas Bridge. — Winter Season. — Begging Nuns. — Nihilism. 
— Scandal Touching the Emperor. — The Fashionable Drive. — St. 
Isaac's Church. — Russian Bells. — Famous Equestrian Statue. — 
The Admiralty. — Architecture. 

St. Petersburg is a city of sumptuous distances. 
There are no blind alleys, no narrow lanes, no rag- 
fair in the imperial capital. The streets are broad, 
the open squares vast in size, the avenues intermi- 
nable, the river wide and rapid, and the lines of archi- 
tecture seemingly endless, while the whole is as level 
as a chess-board. One instinctively desires to reach 
a spot whence to overlook this broad area peopled by 
more than eight hundred thousand souls. This ob- 
ject is easily accomplished by ascending the tower of 
the Admiralty, from whose base the main avenues 
diverge. The comprehensive view from this eleva- 
tion is unique, studded with azure domes decked with 
stars of silver and gilded minarets. A grand city of 
palaces and spacious boulevards lies spread out before 
the spectator. The quays of the Neva above and be- 
low the bridges will be seen to present as animated a 






THE ALEXANDER COLUMN. 207 

scene as the busy thoroughfares. A portion of this 
Admiralty building is devoted to school-rooms for the 
education of naval cadets. The rest is occupied by 
the civil department of the service and by a complete 
naval museum, to which the officers of all vessels on 
their return from distant service are expected to con- 
tribute. There are over two hundred churches and 
chapels in the city, most of which are crowned with 
four or five fantastic cupolas each, and whose interiors 
are opulent in gold, silver, and precious stones, to- 
gether with a large array of priestly vestments elabo- 
rately decked with gold and ornamented with gems. It 
is a city of churches and palaces. Peter the Great and 
Catherine IT., who has been called the female Peter, 
made this brilliant capital what it is. Everything 
that meets the eye is colossal. The superb Alexander 
Column, erected about fifty years ago, is a solid shaft 
of mottled red granite, and the loftiest monolith in the 
world. On its pedestal is inscribed this simple line : 
" To Alexander I. Grateful Russia." It is surmounted 
by an angelic figure, — the whole structure being one 
hundred and fifty-four feet high, and the column itself 
fourteen feet in diameter at the base ; but so large is 
the square in which it stands that the shaft loses 
much of its colossal effect. This grand column was 
brought from the quarries of Pytterlax, in Finland, 
one hundred and forty miles from the spot where 
it now stands. It forms a magnificent triumph of 
human power, which has hewn it from the moun- 
tain mass and transported it intact over so great a 



208 DUE NORTH. 

distance. Arrived complete upon the ground where it 
was designed to be erected, to poise it safely in the 
air was no small engineering triumph.. The pedestal 
and capitol of bronze is made of cannon taken from 
the Turks in various conflicts. It was swung into its 
present upright position one August day in 1832, in 
just fifty-four minutes, under direction of the French 
architect, M. de Montferrand. Just opposite the Alex- 
ander Column, on the same wide area, are situated 
the Winter Palace, — the Hermitage on one side ; and 
on the other, in half-moon shape, are the State build- 
ings containing the bureaus of the several ministers, 
whose quarters are indeed, each one, a palace in it- 
self. This is but one of the many spacious squares 
of the city which are ornamented with bronze statues 
of more or less merit, embracing monuments of Peter, 
Catherine, Nicholas, Alexander I., and many others. 

The Nevsky Prospect is the most fashionable thor- 
oughfare and the street devoted to the best shops. It 
is from two to three hundred feet in width, and ex- 
tends for a distance of three miles in nearly a straight 
line to the Alexander Nevsky Monastery, forming all 
together a magnificent boulevard. On this street may 
be seen the churches of several dissenting sects, such 
as Roman Catholics, Protestants, Armenians, and a 
Mahometan mosque. Hereon also are the Imperial 
Library, the Alexander Theatre, and the Foreign 
Office. The metropolitan cathedral of St. Petersburg 
is also situated upon this main artery of the city, and 
is called Our Lady of Kazan, — finished with an ele- 



THE CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF KAZAN. 209 

gant semi-circular colonnade, curving around a large 
square much like that of St. Peter's at Rome. This 
edifice is superb in all its appointments, no expense 
having been spared in its construction. The aggre- 
gate cost was three millions of dollars. One item of 
costliness was observed in the massive rails of the 
altar, which are formed of solid silver. The church 
contains between fifty and sixty granite columns 
brought from Finland, each one of which is a mono- 
lith of forty feet in height, with base and capitol pf 
solid bronze. Why the architect should have de- 
signed so small a dome as that which forms the apex 
of this costly temple with its extended facade, was a 
question which often occurred to us. Within, upon 
the altar, is an aureole of silver bearing the name of 
God, inscribed in precious stones of extraordinary 
value. The sacred images before which lamps are 
always burning are literally covered with diamonds, 
rubies, emeralds, and sapphires. One of the diamonds 
in the crown of Our Lady of Kazan is of fabulous 
value, and dazzling to look upon. Within these walls 
was observed the tomb of Kutuzof, the so-called 
" Savior of Russia " on the occasion of the French in- 
vasion of 1812. Outside, in front of the cathedral, 
are two admirable statues in bronze standing before 
the bending corridor of each wing, representing his- 
torical characters in Russian story, but whose names 
are quite unpronounceable in our tongue. The cos- 
mopolitan character of the population of St. Peters- 
burg is indicated by the fact that preaching occurs 

U 



210 DUE NORTH. 

weekly in twelve different languages in the several 
churches and chapels of the city. 

In the Cathedral of Peter and Paul rest the ashes 
of the founder of the city; and grouped about his 
tomb are those of his successors to the Russian 
throne, with the exception of Peter II., whose re- 
mains are interred at Moscow. These sarcophagi 
are quite simple, composed of white marble tablets 
raised three feet above the level of the floor, with 
barely a slight relief of gilded ornamentation. At the 
time of our visit they were covered with an abundance 
of fresh flowers and wreaths of immortelles. Peter 
and Paul is a fortress as well as a church ; that is to 
say, it stands within a fortress defended by a hundred 
guns and garrisoned by between two and three thou- 
sand men. It is more venerable and interesting in its 
associations than the grander Cathedral of St. Isaac's, 
while its mast-like, slender spire, being fifty or sixty 
feet higher than any other pinnacle in the city, is 
more conspicuous as a landmark. The immediate 
surroundings constitute the nucleus about which the 
founder of the city first began to rear his capital, 
being an island formed by the junction of the 
Neva and one of its natural branches, but connected 
with the main-land by bridges. We were told that 
the present Emperor sometimes visits incognito the 
tombs of his predecessors here, where kneeling in 
silence and alone, he seems to pray long and fer- 
vently, — and that he had done so only a few 
days previous to the time of our visit. That 



THE NEVSKY MONASTERY. 211 

Alexander III. is actuated by devout religious con- 
victions, of which he makes no parade, is a fact well 
known to those habitually near his person, and that 
he seeks for higher guidance than can be expected 
from mortal counsellors is abundantly proven. It 
was in the prison portion of this fortress that the 
Czarowitz Alexis, the only son of Peter the Great 
that lived to manhood, died under the knout while 
being punished for insubordination and open opposi- 
tion to his father's reforms. What fearful tragedies 
are written in lines of blood upon every page of Rus- 
sian history ! Peter's granddaughter, the Princess 
Tarakanof , was also drowned in the Fortress of Peter 
and Paul by an overflow of the Neva while confined 
in one of the dreary subterranean dungeons. About 
the pillars and upon the walls inside the cathedral 
hang the captured battle-flags of many nations, — 
Turkish, Persian, Swedish, French, and Prussian, be- 
sides the surrendered keys of several European capi- 
tals, including Paris, Dresden, Hamburg, Leipsic, and 
others. The National Mint of Russia is within this 
fortress-prison and cathedral combined. 

A brief visit to the Monastery of St. Alexander 
Nevsky was productive of more than ordinary interest, 
and it chanced to be at an hour when the singing was 
especially impressive and beautiful, being conducted, 
as is always the case in the Greek Church, by a male 
choir. As already intimated, this institution is situ- 
ated at the extremity of the Nevsky Prospect, about 
three miles from the heart of the city, occupying a 



212 DUE NORTH. 

large space enclosed by walls within which are fine 
gardens, thrifty groves, churches, ecclesiastical acade- 
mies, dwelling-houses for the priests, and the like. 
The main church is that of the Trinity, which is ap- 
propriately adorned with some fine paintings, among 
which one by Rubens was conspicuous. Hither the 
Emperor comes at least once during the year to attend 
the service of Mass in public. This monastery was 
founded by Peter the Great in honor of Alexander 
surnamed Nevsky, who vanquished the Swedes and 
Livonians, but who in turn succumbed to the Tartar 
Khans. This brave soldier, however, was canonized 
by the Russian Church. His tomb, we were told, 
weighs nearly four thousand pounds, and is of solid 
silver. Close beside his last resting-place hang the 
surrendered keys of Adrianople. The treasury of this 
monastery contains pearls and precious stones of a 
value which we hesitate to name in figures, though 
both our eyes and ears bore witness to the aggregate 
as exhibited to us. The value of the pearls is said to 
be only exceeded as a collection by that in the Troi- 
tea Monastery, near the city of Moscow. We were 
here shown the bed upon which Peter the Great 
died, across which lay his threadbare dressing-gown 
and night-cap. In the crypt, among the tombs, is 
one which bears a singular inscription, as follows: 
" Here lies Souvarof , celebrated for his victories, epi- 
grams, and practical jokes." This brave and eccen- 
tric soldier made the Russian name famous on many a 
severely contested battlefield. He was also quite as 



MONKS OF THE RUSSIAN CHURCH. 213 

noted for his biting epigrams as for his victorious 
warfare. He lies buried here in the Alexander 
Nevsky Monastery, as this peculiar inscription indi- 
cates ; and the curious stranger is quite as eager in 
seeking his tomb as that of the canonized soldier 
whose name the institution bears. This monastery 
is the coveted place of burial to the soldier, states- 
man, and poet. In the cemetery attached there is 
seen a white marble column raised to the cherished 
memory of Lomonosof, called the father of Russian 
poetry, who was born a serf, but whose native genius 
won him national renown. He was made Councillor 
of State in 1764. 

The monks who inhabit this and all other Russian 
monasteries are of the one Order of St. Basil. They 
wear a black pelisse extending to the feet and broad- 
brimmed dark hats, permitting their hair and beards 
to grow quite long. They pretend never to eat meat, 
their ordinary food consisting of fish, milk, eggs, and 
butter ; but on fast days they are allowed to eat only 
fruit or vegetables. They take vows of chastity, to 
which they are doubtless as recreant as the Roman 
Catholic priests of Italy and elsewhere. The Govern- 
ment gives to each member of the Order an annuity of 
forty roubles per annum, which forms their only fixed 
income ; and consequently they must depend largely on 
the liberality of their congregations and the fees for at- 
tendance upon funerals, marriages, and christenings. 
The priesthood is divided into two classes, — the par- 
ish priests, called the white clergy ; and the monks, who 



214 DUE NORTH. 

are called the black clergy ; but the latter are compara- 
tively circumscribed in number. We have seen that dis- 
senters are as common in^ Russia as in other countries ; 
religious intolerance apparently does not exist. 

In returning from the monastery, the whole length 
of the Nevsky Prospect was passed on foot. It was 
a warm summer afternoon of just such temperature 
as to invite the citizens who remained in town for a 
stroll abroad, and there was a world of people crowd- 
ing the sidewalks of this metropolitan road-way. The 
brilliant Russian signs in broad gilt letters — so very 
like the Greek alphabet — which line the street, must 
often be renewed to present so fresh an appearance. 
It is a thoroughfare of alternating shops, palaces, 
and churches, the most frequented and the most ani- 
mated in the great city of the Neva. Tour canals 
cross but do not intercept this boulevard, named suc- 
cessively the Moika, the Catherine, the Ligawa, and 
the Fontanka. These water-ways, lined throughout 
by substantial granite quays, are gay with the life 
imparted to them by pleasure and freight boats con- 
stantly furrowing their surface. In our early morn- 
ing walks, pausing for a moment on the street bridges, 
large barges were seen containing forests of cut-wood 
loaded fifteen feet high above their wide decks, deliv- 
ering all along the banks of the canals the winter's 
important supply of fuel. Others, with their hulls 
quite hidden from sight, appeared like immense float- 
ing hay-stacks moving mysteriously to their destina- 
tion with horse-fodder for the city stables. Barges 



ST. PETERSBURG IMPERIAL LIBRARY. 215 

containing fruit, berries, and vegetable produce were 
numerous, and these were often followed by flower- 
boats propelled with oars by women and filled with 
gay colors, bound to the market square. The canals 
seemed as busy as the streets they intersected. From 
one o'clock to five in the afternoon the Nevsky Pros- 
pect, with the tide of humanity pouring either way 
through its broad space, was like the Rue Rivoli or 
the Rue Vivienne Paris on a fete day. 

The Imperial Library of St. Petersburg is justly 
entitled to more than a mere mention, for it is one of 
the richest collections of books in all Europe, both in 
quality and quantity. The number of bound volumes 
aggregates a little over one million, while it is espe- 
cially rich in the rarest and most interesting manu- 
scripts. In a room specially devoted to the purpose 
there is a collection of incunabula, or books printed 
previous to the year 1500, which is considered unique. 
The noble building exclusively appropriated to this 
purpose has several times been enlarged to meet the 
demand for room to store and classify the accumulat- 
ing treasures. So late as 1862 there was added a 
magnificent reading-room, quite as spacious and well 
appointed as that of the British Museum at London. 
One division of the manuscript department relates 
particularly to the history of France, consisting of the 
letters of various kings of that country, and those of 
their ambassadors at foreign courts, with many se- 
cret State documents and a great variety of histori- 
cal State papers. These interesting documents were 



216 DUE NORTH. 

dragged from the archives of Paris by the crazed mob 
during the French Revolution, and sold to the first 
bidder. They were bought by Peter Dubrowski, and 
thus found their way into this royal collection. 
Some of the Latin manuscripts of the fifth century, 
nearly fourteen hundred years old are still perfectly 
preserved, and are of great interest to antiquarians. 
The stranger visiting St. Petersburg will be sure to 
return again and again to this treasure-house, whose 
intrinsic riches surpass all the gems of the Winter 
Palace and those of the Hermitage, marvellous as 
their aggregate value is when measured by a criterion 
of gold. 

The Alexander Theatre and the Imperial Public 
Library both look down upon a broad square which 
contains an admirable statue of Catherine II. in 
bronze. This fine composition seemed to us to be 
the boldest and truest example of recorded history, 
breathing the very spirit of the profligate and cruel 
original, whose ambitious plans were even paramount 
to her enslaving passions. History is compelled to 
admit her exalted capacity, while it causes us to blush 
for her infamy. This square opens on the right side of 
the Nevsky Prospect, and is the spot where the Count- 
ess Lapuschkin received her terrible punishment for 
having spoken lightly of the amours of the Empress 
Elizabeth. The Countess is represented to have been 
as lovely in person as in mind, the very idol of the 
court, and surrounded by admirers to the last moment. 
She struggled bravely with her fate, mounting the 



RELIGIOUS DEVOTION OF THE PEOPLE. 217 

scaffold in an elegant undress which heightened the 
effect of her delicate charms ; and when one of the ex- 
ecutioners pulled off a shawl which covered her bosom, 
her modesty was so shocked that she turned pale and 
burst into tears. Her clothes were soon stripped to 
her waist, and before the startled eyes of an immense 
concourse of people she was whipped until not one 
inch of the skin was left upon her back, from the 
neck downward. The poor lady of course became 
insensible before this was entirely accomplished. But 
her inhuman punishment did not end here. Her 
tongue was cut out, and she was banished to Siberia ! 
The people of no city in Europe exhibit so much 
apparent religious devotion as do the inhabitants of 
this Muscovite capital ; and yet we do not for a mo- 
ment suppose that they are more deeply influenced in 
their inner lives by sacred convictions than are other 
races. The humblest artisan, the drosky driver, the 
man of business, the women and children, all bow 
low and make the sign of the cross when passing 
the churches, chapels, or any of the many religious 
shrines upon the streets. No matter how often these 
are encountered, or in how much of a hurry the pass- 
ers may be, each one receives its due recognition of 
devout humility. In the churches the people, men 
and women, not only kneel, but they bow their bodies 
until the forehead touches the marble floor, repeating 
this again and again during each service. It was ob- 
served that children, seemingly far too young to un- 
derstand the purport of these signs of humility, were 



218 DUE NORTH. 

nevertheless sure to go through with them precisely 
like their elders. As regards the multiplicity of 
shrines, they are frequently set up in the private 
houses of the common people, consisting of a picture 
of some saint gaudily framed and set in gilt, before 
which a lamp is kept constantly burning. Some of the 
shops also exhibit one of these shrines, before which 
the customer on entering always takes off his hat, 
bows low, and makes the sign of the cross. A custom 
almost precisely similar was observed by the author 
as often occurring at Hong Kong, Canton, and other 
parts of China, where images in private houses abound, 
and before which there was kept constantly burning 
highly-flavored pastilles as incense, permeating the 
very streets with a constant odor of musk, mingled 
with fragrant spices. 

St. Petersburg is the fifth city in point of population 
in Europe, but its very existence seemed to us to be 
constantly threatened on account of its low situation 
between two enormous bodies of water. A westerly 
gale and high tide in the Gulf of Finland occurring 
at the time of the annual breaking up of the ice in 
the Neva, would surely submerge this beautiful capital 
and cause an enormous loss of human life. The Neva, 
which comes sweeping with such resistless force 
swiftly through the city, is fed by that vast body of 
water Lake Ladoga, covering an area of over six 
thousand square miles at a level of about sixty feet 
above the sea. In 1880 the waters rose between ten 
and eleven feet above the ordinary level, driving 



MORTALITY OF ST. PETERSBURG. 219 

people from their basements and cellars, as well as 
from the villas and humbler dwellings of the lower 
islands below the city. However, St. Petersburg has 
existed for one hundred and eighty years, and it may 
last as much longer, though it is not a city of Nature's 
building, so to speak. It is not a healthy city ; indeed 
the death rate is higher than that of any other Euro- 
pean capital. The deaths largely exceed the births, 
as in Madrid ; and it is only by immigration that the 
population of either the Spanish or the Russian capital 
is kept up. Young men from the rural districts come 
to St. Petersburg to better their fortunes, and all the 
various nationalities of the empire contribute annually 
to swell its fixed population. In the hotels and res- 
taurants many Tartar youth are found, being easily 
distinguished by their dark eyes and hair, as well as 
by their diminutive stature, contrasting with the blond 
complexion and stout build of the native Slav. Pref- 
erence is given to these Tartars in situations such as 
we have named because of their temperate habits, 
which they manage to adhere to even when sur- 
rounded by a people so generally given to intoxica- 
tion. Among the mercantile class there is a large 
share of Germans, whose numbers are being yearly 
increased ; and we must also add to these local shop- 
keepers, especially of fancy goods, a liberal sprinkling 
of French nationality, against whom popular prejudice 
has subsided. 

What the Gotha Canal is to Sweden, the Neva and 
its joining water-ways are to Russia. Through Lake 



220 DUE NORTH. 

Ladoga and its extensive ramifications of connect- 
ing waters it opens communication with an almost 
unlimited region of inland territory, while its mouth 
receives the commerce of the world. The Lake sys- 
tem of Russia presents a very similar feature to that 
of the northern United States, though on a miniature 
scale. They are mostly found close to one another, 
intersected by rivers and canals, and bear the names 
of Ladoga, Onega, Peipous, Saima, Bieloe, Ilmen, and 
Pskov, — the first named being by far the largest, and 
containing many islands. The two important lakes 
of Konevetz and Yalaam have two famous mountains, 
whose stream-falls and cascades are swallowed up 
in their capacious basins. The sea-fish and the beds 
of shell found in Lake Ladoga show that it must once 
have been a gulf of the Baltic. Vessels of heavy bur- 
den have heretofore been obliged to transfer their 
cargoes at Cronstadt, as there was not sufficient depth 
of water in the Neva to float them to the capital ; but 
a well constructed channel has just been completed, 
and vessels drawing twenty-two feet of water can now 
ascend the river to St. Petersburg. Since the perfec- 
tion of this ship-canal another marine enterprise of 
importance has been resolved upon ; namely, a large 
open dock is being prepared by deepening the shallow 
water near the city, covering an area of twenty acres 
more or less, in order that the merchant shipping 
heretofore anchoring within the docks of Cronstadt 
may find safe quarters for mooring, loading, and un- 
loading contiguous to the city. The spacious docks 



THE RIVER NEVA. 221 

thenceforth at the mouth of the Neva will be devoted 
with all their marine and mechanical facilities to the 
accommodation of the rapidly growing Russian navy. 
The Neva is no ordinary river, though its whole 
length is but about thirty-six miles. It supplies the 
city with drinking water of the purest description, and 
is thus in this respect alone invaluable, as there are 
no springs to be reached in the low marshy district 
upon which the metropolis stands, resting upon a 
forest of piles. The river forms a number of canals 
which intersect the town in various directions, drain- 
ing away all impurities, as well as making of the city 
a series of closely-connected islands. In short, the 
Neva is to this Russian Venice in importance what 
the Nile is to the Egyptians, though effective in a 
different manner. The entire course of the river from 
its entrance to its exit from the city is a trifle over 
twelve miles, lined the whole distance by substantial 
stone embankments, finished with granite pavements, 
parapets, and broad stone steps leading at convenient 
intervals from the street to the water's edge, where 
little steam-gondolas are always in readiness to con- 
vey one to any desired section of the town. Many 
officials and rich private families have their own 
boats, propelled by from two to eight oarsmen. On 
Sundays especially a small fleet of boats is to be seen 
upon the river, which is almost a mile in width oppo- 
site the Winter Palace, where the shores are united 
by a long bridge of boats, the depth in mid channel 
being over fifty feet. The main branch of the Neva 



222 DUE NORTH. 

divides the city into two great sections, which are con- 
nected by four bridges. The principal of these is the 
Nicholas Bridge, a superb piece of marine architecture 
which was fifteen years in the process of building, 
having been begun by the Emperor in 1843 and fin- 
ished in 1858. It crosses the river on eight colossal 
iron arches resting on mammoth piers of granite. 
By patient engineering skill the difficulties of a shift- 
ing bottom, great depth, and a swift current were 
finally overcome, giving lasting fame to the successful 
architect, Stanislas Herbedze. The Nicholas is the 
only permanent bridge, the others being floating 
structures supported by pontoons, or boats, which 
are placed at suitable distances to accommodate the 
demands of business. Notwithstanding the populous 
character of the city, the avenues and squares have a 
rather deserted aspect in many sections, but this is 
mainly owing to their extraordinary size. A march- 
ing regiment on the Nevsky Prospect seems to be 
scarcely more in number than does a single company 
in most European thoroughfares. We may mention, 
by the way, that the garrison of St. Petersburg never 
embraces less than about sixty thousand troops of 
all arms, quite sufficient to produce an ever-present 
military aspect, as they are kept upon what is called 
a war-footing. In the event of a sudden declaration 
of war this garrison is designed as a nucleus for an 
efficient army. 

The winter season, which sets in about the first 
of November, changes the aspect of everything in 



TEMPERATURE AND VENTILATION. 223 

the Russian capital, and lasts until the end of April, 
when the ice generally breaks up. In the mean time 
the Neva freezes to a depth of six feet. But keen as is 
the winter cold the Russians do not suffer much from 
it, being universally clad in skins and furs. Even the 
peasant class necessarily wear warm sheep-skins, or 
they would be liable often to freeze to death on the 
briefest exposure. In the public squares and open 
places before the theatres large fires in iron enclo- 
sures are lighted and tended by the police at night, 
for the benefit of the drosky drivers and others neces- 
sarily exposed in the open air. The windows of the 
dwelling-houses are all arranged with double sashes, 
and each entrance to the house is constructed with a 
double passage. So also on the railroad cars, which 
are then by means of large stoves rendered compara- 
tively comfortable. Ventilation is but little regarded 
in winter. The frosty air is so keen that it is excluded 
at all cost. The nicely spun theories as to the fatal 
poison derived from twice-breathed air are unheeded 
here, nor do the people seem to be any the worse for 
disregarding them. The animal food brought to 
market from the country is of course frozen hard as 
stone, and will keep sweet for months in this condi- 
tion, having finally to be cut up for use by means of 
a saw or axe ; no knife could sever it. But in spite 
of its chilling physical properties, the winter is the 
season of gayety and merriment in this peculiar capi- 
tal. With the first snow, wheels are cheerfully dis- 
carded, and swift-gliding sleighs take the place of 



224 DUE NORTH. 

the uncomfortable droskies; the merry bells jingle 
night and day a ceaseless tune ; the world is robed in 
bridal white, and life is at its gayest. Balls, theatres, 
concerts, court fetes, are conducted upon a scale of 
magnificence unknown in Paris, London, or Vienna. 
Pleasure and reckless amusement seem to be the only 
end and aim of life among the wealthier classes, — 
the nobility as they are called, — who hesitate at noth- 
ing to effect the object of present enjoyment. Moral- 
ity is an unknown quantity in the general calculation. 
When that Eastern monarch offered a princely reward 
to the discoverer of a new pleasure, he forgot to stip- 
ulate that it should be blameless. 

If there are poverty and wretchedness existing here 
it is not obvious to the stranger. More or less of a 
secret character there must be in every large com- 
munity; but what we would say is that there is no 
street begging, and no half-starved women or children 
obstruct the way and challenge sympathy, as in Lon- 
don or Naples. There is to be sure a constant and sys- 
tematic begging just inside the doors of the churches, 
where one passes through a line of nuns dressed in 
black cloaks and peaked hoods lined with white. 
These individuals are sent out from the religious 
establishments to which they belong to solicit alms for 
a series of years, until a certain sum of money is real- 
ized by each, which is paid over to the sisterhood, — 
and which, when the fixed sum is obtained, insures 
them a provision for life. This to the writer's mind 
forms the very meanest system of beggary with which 



POVERTY, IGNORANCE, AND NIHILISM. 225 

he has yet been brought in contact. These women, 
mostly quite youthful, are apparently in perfect health 
and quite able to support themselves by honest labor, 
like the rest of their sisterhood. As we have inti- 
mated, there is no St. Giles, Five Points, or North 
Street in St. Petersburg. The wages paid for labor 
are very low, amounting, as we were told, to from 
forty to fifty cents per day in the city, and a less sum 
in the country. The necessities of life are not dear in 
the capital, but the price of luxuries is excessive. The 
common people are content with very simple food and 
a share of steaming hot tea. The drosky drivers are 
hired by companies who own the horses and vehicles, 
and receive about eight dollars per month on which to 
support themselves. They pick up a trifle now and 
then from generous passengers in the way of pour- 
boire, and as a class they are the least intelligent 
to be found in the metropolis. There is a local say- 
ing applied to one who is deemed to be a miserable, 
worthless fellow. They say of him, " He is only fit to 
drive a drosky." The Paris, New York, London, and 
Vienna cab-drivers are cunning and audacious, but 
the Russian drosky-driver is very low in the scale of 
humanity, so far as brains are concerned, and does not 
know enough to be a rogue. 

Discontent among the mass of the people does not 
exist to any material extent; those who represent 
the case to be otherwise are seriously mistaken. It 
is the few scheming, partially educated, idle, disap- 
pointed, and useless members of society who ferment 

15 



226 DUE NORTH. 

revolution and turmoil in Russia, — people who have 
everything to gain by public agitation and panic ; 
men actuated by the same spirit as those who were 
so lately condemned to death for wholesale murder in 
our own country. Nine tenths and more of the peo- 
ple of Russia are loyal to " father the Tzar," — loyal 
to his family and dynasty. Nihilism is almost entirely 
stimulated from without. England is more seriously 
torn by internal dissensions to-day than is Russia, and 
the German people have a great deal more cause for 
dissatisfaction with their government than have the 
Russian. To hold up the Russian government as being 
immaculate would be gross folly; but for foreigners 
to represent it to be so abhorrent as has long been the 
fashion to do, is equally incorrect and unjust. Nihi- 
lism means nothingness ; and never was the purpose 
of a mad revolutionary combination more appropri- 
ately named. This murderous crew has been well de- 
fined by an English writer, who says, " The Nihilists 
are simply striving to force upon an unwilling people 
the fantastic freedom of anarchy." The very name 
which these restless spirits have assumed is an argu- 
ment against them. Some have grown sensitive as to 
having the title of Nihilists applied to them, and 
prefer that of Communists or Socialists, which are 
in fact synonymous names that are already rendered 
odious in Europe and America. When Elliott, the 
Corn-law rhymer was asked, " What is a Commu- 
nist ? " he answered : " One who has yearnings for 
equal division of unequal earnings. Idler or burglar, 



POPULAR DEVOTION TO THE TZAR. 227 

he is willing to fork out his penny and pocket your shil- 
ling." Socialism is the very embodiment of selfish- 
ness ; its aim is that of legalized plunder. Communists, 
Socialists, Nihilists, are one and all disciples of de- 
struction. Just after the terrible explosion in the Win- 
ter Palace, two of the conspirators met in St. Isaac's 
Square. " Is all blown up ? " asked one of the other. 
" No, " was the reply, " the Globe remains." " Then 
let us blow up the globe ! " added the other. When 
these vile conspirators are discovered, as in the case of 
those lately detected in an attempt to burn the city 
of Vienna, they are found to be composed of escaped 
convicts, forgers, and murderers, who naturally array 
themselves against law and order. It was not when 
Russia was little better than a military despotism 
under the Emperor Nicholas, that Nihilism showed its 
cloven foot. Alexander II. was assassinated in the 
streets of St. Petersburg after the millions of grateful 
serfs had been given their liberty, the press granted 
greater freedom of discussion, the stringent laws mit- 
igated, and when the country was upon its slow but 
sure progress towards constitutional government. 
National freedom is not what these anarchists desire ; 
they seek wholesale destruction. The devotion to the 
Tzar evinced by the common people is not slavish, or 
the result of fear ; it is more of childlike veneration. 
Whatever the Emperor commands must be done ; no 
one may question it. The same respect exists for the 
property of the Tzar. No collector of government 
taxes fears for his charge in travelling through the 



228 DUE NORTH. 

least settled districts. The money he carries belongs 
to the Tzar and is sacred ; no peasant would touch 
it. The Tzar is the father of his people, commanding 
parental obedience and respect. The author believes 
this sentiment to be largely reciprocal, and that the 
monarch has sincerely the best good of the people at 
heart. 

A fresh scandal has lately been started in the col- 
umns of the European press, notably in the English 
and German papers, — that the Tzar is addicted to 
gross intemperance, and may at any time in a mo- 
ment of excess plunge headlong into a foreign war. 
Of course no casual visitor to Russia can offer com- 
petent evidence to the contrary ; but it was our privi- 
lege to see Alexander III. on several occasions, and at 
different periods of the day, being each time strongly 
impressed with a very different estimate of his habits. 
The Emperor presents no aspect of excess of any sort, 
but on the contrary appears like one conscious of his 
great responsibility and actuated by a calm conscien- 
tious resolve to fulfil its requirements. " What King 
so strong can tie the gall up in the slanderous tongue ?" 
asks Shakspeare. 

Our remarks as to the honesty of the peasantry in 
all matters relating to the Tzar must not be taken as 
indicating the honesty of the Russian masses gener- 
ally, as regards strangers and one another, especially 
those of the large cities and the habitue's of the great 
fairs. There are no more adroit thieves in Christen- 
dom than those of St. Petersburg and Moscow. Some 



INTEMPERANCE IN RUSSIA. 229 

of the anecdotes relating to these gentry seem al- 
most incredible for boldness, adroitness, and success. 
There is a familiar proverb here which says, " The 
common Russian may be stupid, but he would only 
make one mouthful of the Devil himself!" 

Intemperance is the great bane of the lower classes, 
and the aggregate quantity of spirit consumed by the 
people is almost beyond belief, though St. Petersburg 
is not to be compared with Moscow in this very objec- 
tionable respect. The chief means of intoxication is 
the drinking of Yodka, brandy made from grain. The 
drunken Russian however is not as a rule quarrelsome, 
he only becomes more lovingly demonstrative and fool- 
ish. A ludicrous though sad evidence of this peculi- 
arity was observed in front of the H6tel d'Angleterre. 
A well-dressed and intelligent appearing citizen paused 
opposite the principal entrance, took off* his hat, and 
quietly but tenderly apostrophized it, smoothing the 
crown affectionately, which he petted and kissed. 
It was then replaced properly upon his head, and the 
wearer passed on to the next corner, where his cha- 
peau was again made the recipient of his fond caresses 
and gentle assurances, ending as before with a devoted 
kiss. This process was repeated several times as he 
passed along the big square of St. Isaac's totally indif- 
ferent to all observers. Singular to say, this behavior 
was the only manifest evidence of the individual's ine- 
briety ; but the truth is, our Muscovite was very drunk. 

Nearly every nationality of Europe and many of 
Asia are represented on the business streets of St. 



230 DUE NORTH. 

Petersburg, — Persians, English, Arabs, Greeks, Cir- 
cassians, and so on, each more or less strongly individ- 
ualized. The close observer is not long in discovering 
that the northern being the sunny side of the streets 
radiating from the Admiralty, on that side are to be 
found the finest shops. The summer days are long ; 
twilight is not a period between light and darkness, 
but between light and light. The street lamps are 
nearly useless at this season of the year. Friday is 
the sacred day of the Moslem, the turbaned Turk, and 
the black-bearded Persian ; Saturday the Jews appear 
in holiday attire (though they are not in favor here), 
Sunday being appropriated by the professed Christian. 
Nowhere else is there such an array of white palatial 
residences, such an airy metropolitan aspect, such 
grand and costly statues of bronze, such broad and 
endless boulevards. The English Quay is a favorite 
promenade and drive ; it is surrounded by the grand 
residences of wealthy Russians, who live on a scale of 
splendor and expense equal to petty sovereigns. A 
marked feature in the windows, balconies, and en- 
trances of these dwellings was the long, wavy, green 
leaves of tropical plants, which must require a world 
of care to insure their healthful existence in this cli- 
mate. Handsome four-in-hand vehicles dash through 
the fashionable streets, and though one sees both sexes 
in public, there seems to be a half-Oriental exclusive- 
ness surrounding womanhood in the realm of the Tzar. 
Glare and glitter are manifest on all sides, but the 
domestic virtues are little cultivated in any class of 



GAMBLING. FINE HORSES. 231 

society, marriage being scarcely more than a matter 
of form, hardly ever one of sentiment. As in France 
and at Continental courts generally, intrigue and sen- 
suality prevail in those very places to which the 
common people look for their example. Gaming is a 
prevailing vice among the women, if we may credit 
what we were told and judge from what little we saw. 
As to gentlemen, they have practised that vice almost 
from boyhood ; it is the universal habit of Russian 
youth. But to all such general remarks there are 
noble exceptions, and if these are rare they are all the 
more appreciable. 

We were speaking of the English Quay, which re- 
calls the beauty and spirited action of the Russian 
horses. No stranger will fail to notice them. The 
author has seen animals more beautiful in form 
among the Moors ; but taken as a whole the horses 
of St. Petersburg, whether we select them from those 
kept for private use, or from the cavalry of the army, 
or the artillery attached to the garrison, are the 
finest equine specimens to be seen anywhere. The 
dash of Tartar blood in their veins gives them all 
the vigor, spirit, and endurance that can be desired. 
The five islands of the city separated by the arms of 
the Nevka and Neva, are named the " Garden Islands," 
which form the pleasure-drive of the town. They have 
quite a country aspect, and are a series of parks in 
fact, where the fine roads wind through shady woods, 
cross green meadows, and skirt transparent lakes. 
Here every variety of villa and chalet is seen em- 



232 DUE NORTH. 

bowered in attractive verdure, where one is sure in 
the after part of the day to meet the best equipages 
of the citizens, occupied by merry family parties. 

The city of the Neva is the most spacious capital 
ever built by the hand of man, and one cannot but 
feel that many of its grand squares presided over by 
some famous monument are yet dismally empty. The 
millions of the Paris populace could find space suffi- 
cient here without enlarging the present area. As we 
look upon it to-day, it probably bears little resemblance 
to the city left by the great Peter its founder, except 
in its grand plan ; and yet it extends so little way into 
the past as to have comparatively no root in history. 
The magnificent granite quays, the gorgeous palaces, 
the costly churches and monuments do not date pre- 
vious to the reign of Catherine II. The choice of the 
locality and the building of the capital upon it, is nat- 
urally a wonder to those who have not thought care- 
fully about it, since it seems to have been contrary to 
all reason, and to have been steadily pursued in the 
face of difficulties which would have discouraged and 
defeated most similar enterprises. Ten thousand 
lives were sacrificed among the laborers annually 
while the work was going on, owing to its unhealthy 
nature ; but still the autocratic designer held to his 
purpose, until finally a respectable but not unobjec- 
tionable foundation may be said to have been achieved 
upon this Finland marsh. Yet there are those who 
reason that all was foreseen by the energetic founder ; 
that he had a grand and definite object in view of 



ST. ISAAC'S CATHEDRAL. 233 

which he never lost sight; and moreover that the 
object which he aimed at has been fully attained. The 
city is necessarily isolated, the environs being nearly 
unavailable for habitations, indeed incapable of being 
much improved for any desirable purpose. Like Ma- 
drid, it derives its importance from the fact that it is the 
capital, — not from its location, though it has a mari- 
time relation which the Spanish metropolis cannot 
boast. The great interest of the city to the author was 
its brief but almost magical history, and the genius of 
him who founded it, of whom Motley said that he was 
the only monarch who ever descended from a throne 
to fit himself properly to ascend it. In population 
and its number of houses St. Petersburg is exceeded 
by several European cities ; but its area is immense. 

St. Isaac's Cathedral was begun in 1819 and com- 
pleted in 1858, being undoubtedly the finest structure 
of its class in Northern Europe. So far as its architec- 
ture is concerned, its audacious simplicity amounts to 
originality. It stands upon the great square known 
as Isaac's Place, where a Christian church formerly 
stood as early as the time of Peter. Its name is 
derived from a saint of the Greek liturgy, — St. Isaac 
the Delmatian, — and is altogether distinct from the 
patriarch of that name in the Old Testament. As the 
Milan Cathedral represents a whole quarry of marble, 
this church may be said to be a mountain of granite 
and bronze. Nor is it surprising that it occupied forty 
years in the process of building ; its completion was 
only a question of necessary time, never one of pecun- 



234 DUE NORTH. 

iary means. Whatever is undertaken in this country 
is carried to its end, regardless of the cost. The 
golden cross on the dome is three hundred and thirty- 
six feet from the ground, the form of the structure 
being that of a Greek cross with four equal sides, sur- 
mounted by a central dome, which is covered with 
copper overlaid with gold. Two hundred pounds of 
the precious metal, we were told, were required to 
complete the operation. The dome is supported by 
a tiara of polished granite pillars. Each of the four 
grand entrances, which have superb peristyles, is 
reached by a broad flight of granite steps. The four 
porches are supported by magnificent granite columns 
sixty feet in height, with Corinthian capitals in bronze, 
these monoliths each measuring seven feet in diameter. 
The entire architectural effect, as already intimated, 
is one of grandeur and simplicity combined; but 
the impressive aspect of the interior, when the lamps 
and tapers are all lighted, is something so solemn as 
to be quite beyond description, — illumination being a 
marked feature in the Greek, as in the Roman Catholic 
Church. No interment, baptism, or betrothal takes 
place in Russia without these tiny flames indicative 
of the presence of the Holy Spirit; and thus it is 
that the humblest cabin of the peasant or city labor- 
er supports one ever-burning lamp before some hal- 
lowed and saintly picture. Instrumental music is not 
permitted in the Greek Church, but the human voice 
forms generally the most effective portion of the ser- 
vice ; and of course the choir of St. Isaac's is remark- 



CHURCH BELLS. 235 

able for its excellence. Some idea of the cost of this 
cathedral may be found in the fact that to establish a 
suitable foundation alone cost over a million roubles ; 
and yet at this writing a hundred skilled workmen are 
endeavoring to secure the heavy walls so as to stop 
the gradual sinking which is taking place at three of 
the corners ! It is feared that these walls before many 
years will have to come down all together, and a fresh 
and more secure foundation created by the driving of 
another forest of piles. It is to be hoped that St. 
Isaac's may be indefinitely preserved in all its purity 
of design and splendor of material ; and with its foun- 
dation established this may reasonably be expected. 
Architecture has been called the printing press of all 
time, from the period of the Druids to our own day. 
Future generations will perhaps read in this noble 
edifice a volume of history relating to the state of so- 
ciety, the degree of culture existing, and the iron des- 
potism which entered into its construction. 

Russia has always been famous for its church bells. 
That of St. Isaac's, the principal one of the city, 
weighs over fifty-three thousand pounds and gives 
forth sounds the most sonorous we have ever chanced 
to hear. These great Russian bells are not rung by 
swinging ; a rope is attached to the clapper, or tongue, 
and the operator rings the bell by this means. Our 
hotel was on Isaac's Place, and our sleeping apartment 
nearly under the shadow of the lofty dome of the 
church. It seemed as though the bell was never per- 
mitted to rest, — it was tolling and ringing so inces- 



236 DUE NORTH. 

santly, being especially addicted to breaking forth at 
the unseemly hours of four, five, and six o'clock A. m. 
Of course sleep to one not accustomed to it was out of 
the question, while fifty-three thousand pounds of bell- 
metal were being so hammered upon. It was not 
content to give voice sufficient for a signal to the spe- 
cially devout, but its outbursts assumed chronic form, 
and having got started it kept it up for the half-hour 
together, causing the atmosphere to vibrate and the 
window sashes to tremble with thrills of discomfort. 
Sometimes it would partially subside in its angry clam- 
or, and one hoped it was about to become quiet, when 
it would suddenly burst forth again with renewed 
vigor, and with, as we fancied, a touch of maliciousness 
added. Then, — then we did not ask that blessings 
might be showered upon that bell, but — well, we got 
up, dressed, and took a soothing walk along the banks 
of the swiftly flowing river ! 

On the right of Isaac's Place as one looks towards 
the Neva is the spacious Admiralty, reaching a quar- 
ter of a mile to the square of the Winter Palace. On 
the left is the grand and effective structure of the 
Senate House. Immediately in front of the cathe- 
dral, between it and the river, surrounded by a beau- 
tiful garden, stands the famous equestrian statue of 
Peter the Great in bronze. The horse is seventeen 
feet high, and the rider is eleven. Horse and rider 
rest upon a single block of granite weighing fifteen 
hundred tons, which was brought here from Finland 
at great cost and infinite labor. The effect of this 






PUBLIC STATUES. 237 

group struck us as being rather incongruous and far 
from artistic ; but it is only fair to add that many able 
judges pronounce it to be among the grandest exam- 
ples of modern sculpture. Falconet, the French artist, 
executed the work at the command of Catherine II. 
On the opposite side of the cathedral is the more 
modern equestrian statue and group reared in mem- 
ory of the Emperor Nicholas, one of the most elabo- 
rate, costly, and artistic compositions in bronze extant. 
At each corner of the profusely-embossed pedestal 
stands a figure of life size, moulded after busts of 
the Empress and her three daughters. We had not 
chanced to know of this work of art before we came 
full upon it on the morning following our arrival in 
the city ; but certainly it is the most remarkable and 
the most superb monument in St. Petersburg. Well 
was the man it commemorates called the Iron Em- 
peror, both on account of his great strength of body 
and of will. His was a despotism which permitted 
no vent for public opinion, and which for thirty years 
kept an entire nation bound and controlled by his sin- 
gle will. It was the misfortunes which befell Russia 
through the Crimean war that finally broke his proud 
self-reliance. He died, it is said, of a broken heart on 
the 2d of March, 1855. 

Before leaving the subject of St. Isaac's Cathedral, 
let us refer to its interior, which is very beautiful, 
and to us seemed in far better taste than the gaudy 
though costly embellishments of the Spanish and 
Italian churches. The Greek religion banishes all 



238 DUE NORTH. 

statues, while it admits of paintings in the churches, 
as also any amount of chasing, carving, and gilding. 
The various columns of malachite and lapis-lazuli, to- 
gether with the abundant mosaic and bronze work, 
are characterized by exquisite finish. The many life- 
size portraits of the disciples and saints in the former 
material present an infinite artistic detail. The small 
circular temple which forms the inmost shrine was 
the costly gift of Prince Demidof, who is the owner 
of the malachite mines of Siberia. The steps are of 
porphyry, the floor of variegated marble, the dome of 
malachite, and the walls of lapis-lazuli, — the whole be- 
ing magnificently gilded. The intrinsic value of this 
unequalled shrine is estimated at a million dollars. 
Many others of the superb decorations of the interior 
are the gifts of wealthy citizens of St. Petersburg. 
The numerous battle-trophies which enter into the 
decoration of the interior of this cathedral seemed to 
us a little incongruous, though quite common in this 
country, and indeed in other parts of Europe. The 
banners of England, France, Turkey, and Germany 
are mingled together, telling the story of Russia's 
struggles upon the battlefield and of her victories. 
The keys of captured fortresses are also seen hanging 
in clusters upon the walls, flanked here and there by 
a silver lamp burning dimly before some pictured 
saint. The cost of constructing and furnishing St. 
Isaac's was over fifteen million dollars. 

All art decorations and objects of virtu which one 
finds in Russia seem to partake of other and various 



LACK OF ORIGINALITY IN ART. 239 

nationalities, a fact which is perhaps easily accounted 
for. The Empire is located between the East and the 
West, and has derived her tastes and art productions 
from both, as the influence of Asia and Europe are 
mingled everywhere. Assyria, China, India, Greece, 
Byzantium, France, and England, all contribute both 
artists and materials to adorn the Russian palaces, 
churches, and public buildings. The more practical 
Americans first built her railroads and first estab- 
lished her now famous machine-shops. Of originality 
there is very little ; all is borrowed, as it were. There 
is no such thing as Russian art pure and simple ; and 
yet over the broad territory which forms the dominion 
of the Tzar, we know there have been in the past cen- 
turies large, self-dependent communities, who must 
have been more or less skilled in the various arts, but 
of whom we know only what may be gathered from 
half-obliterated ruins of temples and of tombs. The 
obscurity which envelops the early periods of Rus- 
sian history is well known to be more impenetrable 
than that of nearly any other civilized region of the 
globe. If there can be said to be a Russian style of 
architecture, it is a conglomerate, in which the Byzan- 
tine predominates, brought hither from Constantinople 
with Christianity. 

St. Petersburg is not without its triumphal arches. 
Two very noble and elaborate structures of this charac- 
ter connect the city with its most important territo- 
ries, — the one on the road to Narva, the other on that 
leading to Moscow. The first named is specially 



240 DUE NORTH. 

noticeable, and was built to commemorate the victo- 
rious return of the Russian troops in 1815. The arch 
is supported by lofty metal columns, and surmounted 
by a triumphal car drawn by six bronze horses, which 
have never made a journey abroad like those in the 
piazza of St. Mark. In the Car is a colossal figure of 
Victory crowned with a laurel wreath and holding 
emblems of war. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

The "Winter Palace. — The Hermitage and its Kiches. — An Empress 
and her Fancies. — A Royal Retreat. — Russian Culture. — Public 
Library. — The Summer Garden. — Temperature of the City. — 
Choosing of the Brides. — Peter's Cottage. — Champ de Mars. 
— Academy of Fine Arts. — School of Mines. — Precious Stones. — 
The Imperial Home at PeterhofF. — Carious and Interesting Build- 
ings. — Catherine's Oak. — Alexander III. at Parade. — Descrip- 
tion of the Royal Family. — Horse-Racing. — The Empress's 
Companions. 

Only Rome and Constantinople contain so many 
imperial residences as does St. Petersburg, within 
whose borders we recall twelve. Some idea may be 
formed of the size of the Winter Palace, from the fact 
that when in regular occupancy it accommodates six 
thousand persons connected with the royal household. 
With the exception of the Vatican and that at Ver- 
sailles, it is the largest habitable palace in the world, 
and is made up of suites of splendid apartments, cor- 
ridors, reception saloons, banqueting rooms, galleries, 
and halls. Among them is the Throne Room of Peter 
the Great, the Empress's Reception-Room, the Grand 
Drawing-Room, Hall of St. George, the Ambassadors' 
Hall, the Empress's Boudoir, and so on. The gem of 
them all, however, is the Salle Blanche, so called 
because the decorations are all in white and gold, by 
which an almost aerial lightness and fascination of 

16 



242 DUE NORTH. 

effect is produced. It is in this apartment that the 
court fetes take place ; and it may safely be said that 
no royal entertainments in Europe quite equal those 
given within the walls of the Winter Palace. One 
becomes almost dazed by the glare of gilt and bronze, 
the number of columns of polished marble and por- 
phyry, the gorgeous hangings, the carpets, mosaics, 
mirrors, and candelabra. Many of the painted ceil- 
ings are wonderfully perfect in design and execution ; 
while choice works of art are so abundant on all 
hands as to be confusing. The famous Banqueting 
Hall measures two hundred feet in length by one hun- 
dred in breadth. As we came forth from the grand 
entrance upon the square, it was natural to turn and 
scan the magnificent fac,ade as a whole, and to remem- 
ber that from the gates of this palace Catherine II. 
emerged on horseback, with a drawn sword in her 
hand, to put herself at the head of her army. 

The Hermitage, of which the world has read and 
heard so much, is a spacious building adjoining the 
Winter Palace, with which it is connected by a cov- 
ered gallery, and is of itself five hundred feet long. 
It is not, as its name might indicate, a solitude, but a 
grand and elaborate palace in itself, built by Cathe- 
rine II. for a picture-gallery, a museum, and a resort 
of pleasure. It contains to-day one of the largest 
as well as the most precious collections of paintings 
in the world, not excepting those of Rome, Florence, 
or Paris. The catalogue shows twenty originals by 
Murillo, six by Velasquez, sixty by Rubens, thirty- 



THE HERMITAGE AND ITS RICHES. 243 

three by Vandyke, forty by Teniers, the same number 
by Rembrandt, six by Raphael, and many by other 
famous masters. The Spanish collection, so desig- 
nated, was sold to the Russian Government by the 
late King of Holland. The more modern French and 
Dutch schools are also well represented in this collec- 
tion, particularly the latter. Among the many pieces 
of antique sculpture in the halls devoted to statuary, 
is the remarkable Yenus known as the Yenus of the 
Hermitage, found at Castle Gandolfo, and which is fa- 
vorably compared by professional critics to the Yenus 
di Medici. The series of Greek and Etruscan vases, 
with many superb examples of malachite from Sibe- 
ria (over one thousand in all), are quite unequalled 
elsewhere, and embrace the famous vase of Cumae 
from the Campana collection, as well as the silver 
vase of Nicopol and the golden vase of Kertch. The 
treasury of gems exhibited to the visitor is believed 
to be the finest and most valuable collection in the 
world. It includes the well-known Orlof diamond, 
whose history is as interesting as that of the Kohi- 
noor (Mountain of Light), now in the English Royal 
Treasury, and which it exceeds in weight by a little 
over eight carats. This brilliant stone was bought 
by Count Orlof for the Empress Catherine of Russia, 
and is considered to have an intrinsic value of about 
eight hundred thousand dollars. The intimate rela- 
tion of Russia with Persia and India in the past has 
made her the recipient of vast treasures in gems ; 
while of late years the mines of the Urals, within 



244 DUE NORTH. 

her own territory, have proved an exhaustless For- 
tunatus's purse. The interior of the Hermitage is 
decorated with Oriental luxuriance tempered by West- 
ern refinement. The gilding is brilliant, the frescos 
elaborate to the last degree, and the masses of am- 
ber, lapis-lazuli, gold, silver, and precious gems are a 
never-ending surprise. Here are also preserved the 
private libraries that once belonged to Zimmermann, 
Yoltaire, and Diderot, besides those of several other 
men of letters. There is a Royal Theatre under the 
same roof, where plays used to be performed by ama- 
teurs from the court circles for the gratification of 
the Empress Catherine, the text of which was not 
infrequently written by herself. 

The Empress indulged her royal fancy to its full 
bent in the use she made of the Hermitage. On the 
roof was created a marvellous garden planted with 
choicest flowers, shrubs, and even trees of consid- 
erable size. This conservatory was heated in winter 
by subterranean fires, and sheltered by glass from 
the changeable weather at all times. At night these 
gardens were illumined by fancy-colored lamps ; and 
report says that in the artificial groves and beneath 
the screen of tropical plants scenes not quite decorous 
in a royal household were often enacted. The will 
of the Empress was law ; no one might question the 
propriety of her conduct. Famous men from far and 
near became her guests, musicians displayed their 
special talents, and various celebrities their wit. 
With all her recklessness, dissipation, and indelicacy, 



SOME ROYAL PALACES. 245 

Catherine IT. was a woman of great intellectual power 
and of keen insight, possessing remarkable business 
capacity. Well has she been called the Semiramis of 
the North. One evidence of her practical character 
was evinced by her promotion of emigration from 
foreign countries. By liberal gratuities transmitted 
through her diplomatic agents in Western Europe, 
she induced artisans and farmers to remove to her 
domain, and placing these people in well-selected cen- 
tres did much towards civilizing the semi-barbarous 
hordes over whom she ruled. The visitor to the 
Academy of Arts at St. Petersburg will not fail to 
regard with interest a fine original portrait of the 
Empress, representing a woman of commanding pres- 
ence, with a large handsome figure, big gray eyes, 
and blooming complexion. 

Among other royal residences the Marble Palace 
erected by Catherine for Prince Gregory Orlof stands 
but a short distance from the Hermitage eastward. 
The Castle of St. Michael situated near the Fontanka 
Canal was built by the Emperor Paul ; and here he 
met his sanguinary death. This structure is magnifi- 
cently decorated. Close at hand on the canal is the 
modern Michael Palace, before which Alexander II. 
fell shattered by a Nihilist bomb on the 13th day of 
March, 1881. Fortunately it also killed the miserable 
assassin who threw it. The Taurida Palace presented 
by Catherine to her favorite Potemkin is still a won- 
der of elegance, and is considered an qbject of much 
interest to strangers, to whom it is freely shown at 



246 DUE NORTH. 

the expense of the usual gratuities, though it is now 
occupied by an humble branch of the imperial family. 
The ball-room is of enormous proportions : here the 
musicians were originally suspended in the chande- 
liers ! When this gorgeous apartment was fully pre- 
pared for a public entertainment, it required twenty 
thousand candles to light it properly. The Amirtchkoff 
Palace situated on the Nevsky Prospect is a favorite 
town residence of the Emperor Alexander III. To 
the newly arrived visitor it would seem that one half 
the town belongs to the Crown, and consists of public 
offices, military schools, charitable institutions and 
palaces. In the immediate environs of the city, with- 
in an extensive grove, is located what is called Cathe- 
rine's House, being little more than a cottage in a 
small forest. It is a low wooden building two stories 
in height, and was shown to us as containing the 
same furniture and belongings that surrounded the 
Empress, who often retired here as a secluded spot 
where to indulge in her erratic revels. The ceilings of 
the apartments are so low that one can easily reach 
them with the hands when standing upright. There 
are exhibited some pictures upon secret panels set 
in the walls, which are of a character corroborative 
of the lewd nature attributed to Catherine II. The 
situation of the cottage is really lovely, surrounded 
by woods, lakes, and gardens. The rooms contain a 
number of souvenirs of the Great Peter, manufactured 
by his own hands, and who must certainly have been 
one of the most industrious of mortals. One of these 



ILLITERACY IN RUSSIA. 247 

original productions was especially interesting, being 
a large map some five or six feet square, drawn and 
colored upon coarse canvas, and representing his do- 
minions in considerable detail. This map though 
somewhat crude in execution was yet an evidence of 
Peter's versatile skill and tireless industry, modern 
survey having in many respects corroborated what 
must have been originally only conjecture drawn from 
the scantiest sources of information. 

In passing the Imperial Public Library already 
mentioned, one could not but feel that its vast re- 
sources of knowledge must not be considered as typi- 
fying the general intelligence of the mass of the 
Russian people. That must, we are sorry to say, be 
placed at a low estimate. The difference between 
Scandinavia and Russia in this respect is very marked 
and entirely in favor of the former. A large majority 
of the common people of St. Petersburg cannot read 
or write, while eight out of ten persons in Norway and 
Sweden can do both creditably. So can nearly the 
same ratio of the inhabitants of Canton and Pekin. It 
is not surprising that a people having no mental resort 
will seek animal indulgences more or less disgraceful. 

Let us be careful, however, not to give a wrong im- 
pression relative to this matter of education. Until 
the time of Alexander II. the village priests controlled 
all schools in the country, though often they were 
utterly incompetent for teaching. But that liberal 
monarch changed this, and gave the schools into the 
hands of the most capable individuals, whether they 



248 DUE NORTH. 

were priests or otherwise. A manifest improvement 
has been the consequence. Thirty years ago there 
were but about three thousand primary schools in 
all Russia ; to-day there are nearly twenty-four thou- 
sand. This increase has been gradual, but is highly 
significant. Reading, writing, arithmetic, and geog- 
raphy are the branches which are taught in these 
schools. Statistics show that in 1860 only two out 
of one hundred of the peasants drafted into the army 
could read and write. Ten years later, in 1870, the 
proportion had increased to eleven in a hundred, and 
in 1882 it had reached nineteen in a hundred. Gov- 
ernment organizes these village schools, and holds a 
certain supervision over them, contributing a percent- 
age of their cost, the balance being realized by a small 
tax upon the parents of the children attending them. 
Finland has an educational system quite distinct from 
the empire, supporting by local interest high schools 
in all the principal towns, and primary schools in 
every village. 

In St. Petersburg the common signs over and be- 
side the doors of the shops are pictorially illustrated, 
indicating the business within, these devices taking 
the place of lettered signs, which the common people 
could not read. Thus the butcher, the barber, the 
pastry-cook, and the shoemaker put out symbols of 
their trade of a character intelligible to the humblest 
understanding. At times these signs are very curious, 
forming ludicrous caricatures of the business which 
they are designed to indicate, so laughable indeed 



AUTHORS, BOOKS, AND SCHOOLS. 249 

that one concludes they are designedly made ridicu- 
lous in order the more readily to attract attention. 
There is a large population of well-educated native 
and foreign-born people whose permanent home is 
here, among whom a German element is the most 
conspicuous. Nor is America unrepresented. There 
are good Russian translations of most of the standard 
English and American authors, poets, and novelists. 
We saw excellent editions of Shakspeare, Longfellow, 
and Tennyson ; also of Byron, Macaulay, Scott, and 
Irving. This list might be extended so as to embrace 
many other names. The modern school of Russian 
romance writers is not formed upon the vicious French 
standard, but rather upon the best English ; not upon 
that of Balzac and Dumas, but upon Thackeray 
and George Eliot. Toorgenef, Gogol, Pisanski, and 
Goncharov are Russian names whose excellence in 
literature have familiarized them to English readers. 
There is upon the bookshelves of nearly every cul- 
tured family in St. Petersburg and Moscow a trans- 
lation of Homer into Russian, the scholarly work of 
an assistant in the Imperial library of St. Petersburg. 
Competent persons have pronounced this to be equal to 
the best rendering which we possess in the English 
language. The native Universities at Moscow, Kiev, 
St. Petersburg, Kharkov, Odessa, Kazan, and Warsaw 
are all kept fully up to modern requirements, and 
are all well attended. 

The Mineralogical Academy of St. Petersburg is 
extremely interesting, where the various riches of the 



250 DUE NORTH. 

Ural Mountains are especially displayed in all their nat- 
ural beauty. Topazes, rubies, opals, garnets, pearls, 
and diamonds are to be seen here as large and as per- 
fect as the world can produce. Many of these gems 
are now as delicately and scientifically cut in Siberia 
as at Amsterdam or New York. One golden nugget 
was observed here which weighed over eighty pounds. 
This remarkable specimen of the precious metal was 
dug out of the earth exactly in its present form and 
condition. It would seem that the mineral riches of 
Russia rival those of all the rest of the world ; and 
we ceased to wonder, after visiting this exhibition of 
native mineral products, at the lavish use of gems 
and the precious metals in the palaces and churches. 

The extensive and remarkably beautiful promenade 
on the banks of the Neva near the Trinity Bridge 
called the Summer Garden it would be hard to equal 
elsewhere. The ever recurring surprise is that so 
many acres of land in the very heart of a great capital 
can be spared for a delightful pleasure-ground. It is 
laid out with long avenues of fine trees, interspersed 
with lovely blooming flowers and musical fountains. 
A grand specimen of the fuchsia, developed into a 
tree ten or twelve feet in height, attracted our atten- 
tion. It was laden with its ever gracefully drooping 
flowers in dainty purple, scarlet, and white. Marble 
statues are appropriately distributed representing the 
Seasons, the goddess Flora, Neptune, and others, re- 
calling the Prado at Madrid, which is similarly or- 
namented. There is here also a fine statue in memory 



THE CHOOSING OF THE BRIDES. 251 

of Kriloff, the La Fontaine of Russia. This remark- 
able fabulist died as late as 1844. In the autumn 
these statues are all carefully enclosed in boxes, and 
those of the shrubs and trees which are not housed 
are also packed securely to protect them from the 
extreme severity of the climate. It must be remem- 
bered that although the thermometer rises here to 99° 
Fahrenheit in summer, it also descends sometimes to 
40° below zero in winter, — a range not exceeded by the 
temperature of any other city in the world. It would 
seem as though nothing which is exposed can with- 
stand this frosty climate. Even the granite monolith 
which forms the shaft of the Alexander Column has 
been seriously affected by it. The same may be said 
of the heavy stone-work which forms the embankment 
bordering the Neva and the canals ; so that workmen 
must rebuild annually what the frost destroys. 

In this famous and popular Summer Garden, on 
Monday the second day of Whitsuntide, a ceremony 
used to take place of which we have all heard and 
many doubted ; it was called " The Choosing of the 
Brides." Young girls, mostly of the middling class, 
dressed for the occasion in their finest clothes and 
ornaments, came hither with their mothers and were 
marshalled in line upon the broad paths. In front 
paraded the young *nen accompanied by their fathers, 
walking back and forth and freely examining with ear- 
nest eyes the array of blushing maidens. If signs of 
mutual attraction were exhibited, the parents of such 
would engage in conversation, which was intended 



252 DUE NORTH. 

to introduce the young people to each other. This 
often led to an acquaintance between those who had 
heretofore been perfect strangers, and, being followed 
up, it finally led to betrothal and marriage. This an- 
nual custom was looked upon with favor by all the 
common people, and was continued until late years ; 
but as a recognized formality it has become a thing 
of the past. We were told, however, that it is still 
indirectly pursued by maidens appearing in the garden 
on that special day dressed in their best, where they 
are sought by young men who are matrimonially in- 
clined. No indelicacy is thought to attach itself to 
this admission of purpose on the maiden's part, who 
is as of yore not only incited but always chaperoned 
by her mother. 

Near the Summer Garden is the little log building 
which was occupied by Peter the Great while he su- 
perintended personally the work he inaugurated here, 
and more especially the important part of laying the 
foundations of the great city, so far back as 1703, — 
to use the words attributed to him, while he was 
creating " a window by which the Russians might 
look into civilized Europe." It is a rude affair built 
of logs, the ceiling absolutely too low for a tall visitor 
to stand under comfortably. The inside is lined with 
leather, and the structure is preserved by a substan- 
tial brick house erected over and about it, within 
which a few of the simple utensils that belonged to 
the energetic autocrat are also to be seen. Among 
these articles was a well made and still serviceable 



THE RUSSIAN CHAMP DE MARS. 253 

small-boat constructed by his own hands, and in which 
he was accustomed to row himself about the Neva. 
It will be remembered that Peter served an apprentice- 
ship to this trade in his youth. The apartment which 
was originally the workshop of the royal carpenter 
has been transformed into a chapel, where the com- 
mon people crowd to witness the daily service of the 
Greek Church. Some of these were seen to kiss the 
venerated walls, — an act of devotion which it was dif- 
ficult clearly to understand. True, the Russians, like 
the Japanese and early Scandinavians, make saints of 
their heroes ; but we believe they forgot to canonize 
Peter the Great. 

Close at hand is situated the spacious Champ de 
Mars, where the troops of the garrison of all arms are 
exercised, — a never-ending occupation here, one tak- 
ing precedence of all others in a nation so thoroughly 
military. The Russians make the best of soldiers, 
— obedient, enduring, faithful, and brave. It is true 
that there are but few " thinking bayonets " in the 
ranks ; yet for the duty they are trained to perform, 
perhaps such qualification is neither required nor 
particularly desirable. Stories are often told of the 
hardship and rigid severity of the Russian military 
service, but many of them are gross exaggerations. 
The knout, of which such cruel stories are told, has 
long been banished as a punishment in the army and 
navy. The Champ de Mars is a square and perfect- 
ly level field where twenty thousand troops — cavalry, 
artillery, and infantry — can be manoeuvred at a time. 



254 DUE NORTH. 

On the border of this parade-ground stands a fine 
bronze statue in memory of Marshal Souvarof, the 
ablest Russian general of his day, and who died so 
late as the year 1800. The figure, heroic in size, is 
represented wielding a sword in the right hand and 
bearing a shield in the left. 

On the Vassili Ostrof stands the spacious Academy 
of Arts, the front on the Neva measuring over four 
hundred feet in length ; and though it is adorned with 
many columns and pilasters, its architectural effect 
is not pleasing to the eye. Its size, however, makes 
it rather imposing as a whole. The central portico is 
surmounted by a graceful cupola, upon which a figure 
of Minerva is seated ; beneath are seen statues of 
Flora and Hercules. Two large and quite remarkable 
granite sphinxes brought from Egypt stand in front 
of the Academy upon the stone embankment of the 
river; but the broad business thoroughfare between 
them and the building isolates these figures so that 
one would hardly think they were in any way con- 
nected with the institution. This Academy of Fine 
Arts is just one century old, having been erected in 
1786 after a design by a French architect. The lower 
floor forms a series of halls devoted to sculpture, the 
examples of which are arranged chronologically in 
various rooms beginning with the early Greek and 
Roman schools and terminating with the productions 
of the nineteenth century. In apartments over these 
are the galleries devoted to paintings. One very in- 
teresting and instructive division is that which is 



THE MINING SCHOOL. 255 

devoted to drawings illustrating the progress of archi- 
tecture. This gallery also affords an admirable op- 
portunity for studying the growth of what is termed 
the Russian school of painting. 

At the western extremity of the Yassili Ostrof is 
located the Institution of Mines, or the Mining School, 
which is a resort of special interest to strangers, being 
in fact a technological college conducted by the Gov- 
ernment upon the most liberal principles, and designed 
to fit its students for becoming accomplished mining 
engineers. It contains the finest collection of mod- 
els and mineralogical specimens we have ever seen 
collected together, not excepting those of the British 
Museum. This institution will accommodate about 
three hundred pupils, and is always improved to its 
fullest educational capacity. The specimens of native 
gold alone which are here exhibited have an intrinsic 
value of nearly a hundred thousand dollars, while the 
beryls, tourmalines, amethysts, topazes, and other 
minerals from Siberia are unequalled in any other col- 
lection. The interested visitor cannot fail to receive 
a correct impression of the great mineral wealth of 
this wide-spread empire, and which will be found to 
exceed all previously conceived ideas. A very beauti- 
ful rose-colored rubellite from the Urals was observed, 
also a green beryl valued at twenty-five thousand dol- 
lars. Specimens of the Alexandrite, named after 
Alexander I., are also to be seen here in beautiful form 
and clearness. A printed list of the gems and treas- 
ures generally which are gathered here would prove 



256 DUE NORTH. 

of great interest. In the garden of the institution 
there is a model of a mine, through the winding pas- 
sages of which a guide bearing a lighted taper con- 
ducts the visitor, while he explains the Russian process 
of mining in Siberia and the Urals. 

The Palace of Peterhoff is situated about sixteen 
miles from the city of St. Petersburg, on the shore of 
the Neva where the river assumes a widtli of eight or 
ten miles. It has always been famous for the mag- 
nificent fetes given here since the days when it was 
built by the Great Peter. The main structure has no 
special merit in point of architecture, but the location 
and the surroundings are extremely beautiful. From 
the terrace, the great yellow Palace being built upon a 
natural elevation some sixty feet above the level of 
the sea, one gets a fine though a distant view of the 
coast of Finland, — a portion of the Tzar's dominion 
which alone exceeds in size Great Britain and Ireland, 
a widespread barren land of lakes and granite rocks, 
but peopled by over two millions of souls. The parks, 
gardens, fountains, hothouses, groves, flower-beds, and 
embowered paths of Peterhoff are kept in the most 
perfect order by a small army of household attendants. 
The whole forms a resort of regal loveliness and of 
endless sylvan variety. The artificial water-works, 
cascades, and fountains are arranged somewhat like 
those of St. Cloud, and nearly equal to those of Ver- 
sailles. In front of the Palace is a fountain named 
Samson, which throws water to the height of eighty 
feet, and is also constructed to form various fountains. 



ROYAL RESIDENCE OF MONTPLAISIR. 257 

It is called Samson from the colossal bronze figure 
forcing open the jaws of a lion, and from whence 
the water rushes copiously. The fountains are so 
arranged that on the occasion of holidays and grand 
fetes artificial lights can be placed behind the liquid 
sheets, thus producing novel effects even more won- 
derful than the golden waters of Parizade. Here the 
famous Peter used to resort, and stroll about the gar- 
dens with his humble favorite, a Polish girl, forgetting 
the cares of State. This lowly companion besides great 
personal beauty possessed much force of character, 
and exercised great influence over her melancholic 
and morose master. Many instances are related of her 
interference in behalf of mercy long before her final 
elevation, which showed a kind and loving nature. 

There are several other royal residences in these 
spacious grounds. One near the sea-shore is that of 
Montplaisir, a long, low, one-story brick structure 
with tiled floors and numbers of Dutch pottery stoves. 
It is an exceedingly plain residence but still very 
comfortable, containing many Dutch pictures which 
the Tzar brought from that country. Peter was very 
much attached to this comparatively humble dwelling, 
and he breathed his last in it. While standing in the 
little chamber where he slept and where he died, his 
last words were recalled : " I believe, and I trust." 
Here the Empress Elizabeth occasionally spent the 
brief summer days, amusing herself, as we were told, 
by cooking her own dinner. The low building m 
shaded by tall sky-reaching old pines, whose odor 

17 



258 DUE NORTH. 

pleasantly permeated the air as we wandered about 
the grounds among the choice flowers and the care- 
fully tended undergrowth, half expecting to come 
upon the Talking Bird and Singing Tree of the Ara- 
bian fable. One or two cypress avenues in the palace 
grounds are matchless in sylvan effect, producing those 
charming lines of perspective which trees alone can 
afford. Here the local guide pointed out an oak which 
Catherine II. discovered springing from an acorn, and 
which she protected and planted where it now stands. 
This little incident occurred on the day before she as- 
cended the throne ; but her reign was long enough 
for the royal lady to see the tiny sprout grow into a 
lofty and vigorous tree. 

There is another small palace near by Montplaisir 
which was built after the English style for the wife 
of the Emperor Nicholas, being called Znamenska, 
and it is occupied at times by the present Empress. 
The pictures in this summer resort are all of cabinet 
size and numerous, but not of a very delicate or re- 
fined character ; how high-bred ladies could abide to 
have them constantly in sight was a surprise to the 
author. The furniture is rococo, and almost too 
delicate for domestic use. Two other small palaces 
at Peterhoff are upon the islands Isola Bella and 
Isola Madre. These last are in the Italian style, and 
as we saw them that soft, sunny July afternoon they 
were embedded in gorgeous colors, " a snow of blos- 
soms and a wild of flowers." These may be enjoyed 
by strangers who understand that a golden key opens 



THE PETERHOFF HERMITAGE. 259 

all doors in Russia. The domestic arrangements in 
these minor palaces are unique ; the bathing appara- 
tus in Montplaisir is very curious, where the royal 
personages come even to-day to enjoy steam baths, 
cold baths, and baths of every conceivable nature, 
often submitting to a discipline which one would 
think might try the physical powers of an athlete. 

One building which we visited within the royal 
grounds was a very homely square structure of wood, 
with a brick basement. The house was surrounded 
by a deep broad moat which could be flooded at will ; 
the little foot-bridge being then raised, the spot was 
completely isolated. In this building there were but 
two large rooms, one above the other, the whole being 
from a design by Catherine II., and was called by her 
the Peterhoff Hermitage. Hither the fanciful Empress 
would retire to dine with her ministers of State or 
the foreign ambassadors. The table was so arranged 
that the servants had no occasion to enter the apart- 
ment where the meal was partaken of. In front 
of each person sitting at table there was a circular 
opening, through which at a signal the dishes could 
descend upon a small dumb-waiter to the carying and 
cooking room below, and fresh ones be raised in their 
places. Thus any number of courses could be fur- 
nished and no servants be seen at all ; nor was there 
any danger that State secrets could be overheard 
or betrayed by the attendants. The whole machin- 
ery of this automatic table is still operative, and 
was put in motion for our amusement, — dishes ap- 



260 DUE NORTH. 

pearing and disappearing as if by magic at the will 
of the exhibitor. 

The author's visit to Peterhoff occurred on a warm, 
bright Sabbath day. Passage was taken at the Eng- 
lish Quay on a steamer which plies regularly between 
the two places. The decks were thronged with well- 
dressed, well-behaved citizens, many of whom had wife 
and children with them, to share the pleasure of a 
river excursion. Our course was straight down the 
channel of the Neva ; but long before the landing was 
made, the gilded spires of the royal chapel and some 
other surrounding golden minarets were discovered 
blazing under the intense rays of the sun. At pres- 
ent, this beautiful retreat forms the summer residence 
of the royal family. Lying half a mile off the shore, 
above and below the landing at Peterhoh , was a light- 
draft naval steamer, fully manned and armed, acting 
as a coast-guard. No strange vessel or craft of even 
the smallest dimensions would be permitted to pass 
within the line of these vessels. After driving through 
the widespread royal gardens, dotted with flower-beds, 
fountains, and mirror-like lakes shaded by a great 
variety of grand old trees, we finally came upon the 
Champ de Mars, — and at an opportune moment, just 
as the Emperor and Empress, with the Prince Impe- 
rial and his brother next of age, came upon the ground 
in an open barouche, to witness a review of the troops 
which are stationed here. The Emperor, dressed 
in full uniform, alighted at once, and with military 
promptness, began to issue his orders. As he moved 



THE ROYAL FAMILY. 261 

here and there, his tall commanding figure was quite 
conspicuous among his attending suite. The Empress, 
who it will be remembered is the daughter of the 
King of Denmark and sister of the Princess of Wales, 
retained her seat in the vehicle, looking very quiet and 
composed ; but the young princes, dressed in white 
linen coats and caps of a semi-military character, kept 
a little in the rear, though close to the Emperor, as he 
walked back and forth directing the movements of 
the troops. The Empress is tall and stately in figure, 
her fair and really handsome features bearing no traces 
of age or care. If she has secret pangs to endure, — 
common to both the humble and the exalted, — her 
features record, like the dial-plate in the piazza of St. 
Mark, only the sunny hours. Her dark eyes lighted 
up with animation, and a pleased smile hovered about 
her lips, while the whole corps d'armee, as with one 
voice, greeted the Emperor when he alighted, and gave 
the military salute. 

The level parade-field was between thirty and forty 
acres in extent, and the manoeuvres evinced the per- 
fection of military drill. The Queen of Greece and 
the Duchess of Edinburgh, with some attendant ladies 
of the court, were also present in a carriage behind 
that occupied by the Empress. The whole party, while 
it was of so distinguished a character, was yet marked 
by great simplicity of dress and quietness of manners. 
Nochili, brother of the late Emperor and uncle to the 
present Tzar, was in the royal suite, wearing the full 
uniform of an Admiral of the Russian navy, of which 



262 DUE NORTH. 

he is the present efficient head. The Prince Imperial 
is a quiet, dignified lad of seventeen, with features 
hardly yet sufficiently matured to express much char- 
acter. He bids fair to be like his parents, tall and 
commanding in figure; a pleasant smile lighted up 
his face as he watched with evident interest every 
detail of the parade. His brother who accompanied 
him is about three years his junior, but was, we 
thought, the more dignified of the two. When the 
whole body of infantry passed the reviewing point at 
the double-quick, the admirable precision of the 
movement elicited from the multitude of civilians un- 
limited applause. In the several stages of the review 
which the Emperor directed personally, he passed 
freely close by the lines of the assembled citizens 
who were drawn hither from St. Petersburg and else- 
where ; also in and among the lines of soldiery. He 
was calm, cool, and collected, the expression upon his 
features being that of firmness, dignity, and assured 
power. The stories bruited about concerning his 
hermit-like seclusion, caused by a realizing sense of 
personal danger, are mostly exaggerations of the 
grossest character. They are manufactured and set 
afloat by the cowardly revolutionists, who strive in 
many subtle ways to create a false sentiment against 
the Emperor. Here in St. Petersburg such stories are 
known to be lies, but it is hoped that among the hid- 
den nests of anarchists in other parts of Europe, and 
even in America, they may have their effect. That 
Alexander III. is popular with the masses of Russia, 



THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS. 263 

both civil and military, there is no doubt. Of course 
the avowed enmity of secret revolutionists renders it 
necessary to take the usual precautions against out- 
rage ; consequently guards and detectives are at all 
times on duty in large numbers, not only at Peterhoff, 
but wherever the Emperor and royal family may hap- 
pen to be on public occasions. These detectives are 
composed of picked men devoted to their duty, chosen 
for their known loyalty, courage, and discretion, not 
one of whom but would lay down his life if called upon 
so to do in order to protect that of the Emperor. The 
necessity for employing such defensive agents is to be 
deplored ; but it is not confined to the court of Russia. 
Germany and Austria adopt similar precautions ; and 
even Victoria, amid all the boasted loyalty of her sub- 
jects, is exercised by a timidity which leads to similar 
precautions whenever she appears in public. 

After the review had taken place on the occasion 
which we have described, a slight change in the ar- 
rangements of the grounds transformed the level 
field into an admirable race-course. The Empress is 
over-fond of the amusement of horse-racing, and is 
herself an excellent horsewoman, said to have the best 
" seat " in the saddle of any royal lady in Europe, not 
even excepting that remarkable equestrienne the Em- 
press of Austria. She remained with her lady-com- 
panions and the princes to witness the races, while 
the Emperor with his military suite retired to the 
Imperial Palace half a mile away. The ladies in the 
Empress's immediate company were very refined in 



264 DUE NORTH. 

appearance, possessing strong intellectual faces and 
much grace of manners ; but as to personal beauty 
among the Russian ladies generally, one must look 
for it in vain, the few vivid exceptions only serving to 
emphasize the rule. While the men have fine regular 
features and are generally remarkable for their good 
looks, their mothers, sisters, and wives are apt to be 
positively homely ; indeed, it has passed into an axiom 
that nowhere are the old women so ugly and the old 
men so handsome as in this country. 

It will be remembered that Alexander III. succeeded 
to the throne on the assassination of his father, March 
13, 1881 ; and that he is far more liberal and progres- 
sive than any of his predecessors is universally admit- 
ted. We were told by influential Russians that a con- 
stitutional form of government even may be estab- 
lished under his rule, if his life is spared for a series 
of years. Though a true soldier and an able one, he 
has not the ardent love for military affairs which ab- 
sorbed Nicholas I. While he is sensitive to national 
honor as regards his relations with other countries, 
his home policy is eminently liberal and peaceful. 
He has ably seconded his father's efforts for the im- 
provement of the judicial system, the mitigation of 
the censorship of the press, the abolishment of cor- 
poral punishment in the army and navy, and the im- 
provement of primary educational facilities. In such 
a country as Russia, progress in these directions must 
be gradual; any over-zealousness to promote great 
reforms would defeat the object. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Power of the Greek Church. — Freeing the Serfs. — Education Needed. 

— Mammoth Russia. — Religion and Superstition. — Memorial 
Structures. — Church Fasts. — Theatres and Public Amusements. 

— Night Revels. — A Russian Bazaar. — Children's Nurses in Cos- 
tume. — The one Vehicle of Russia. — Dress of the People. — Fire 
Brigade. — Red Tape. — Personal Surveillance. — Passports. — An- 
noyances. — Spying Upon Strangers. — The Author's Experience. — 
Censorship of the Press. 

It is not alone her military organization, colossal 
and complete as it is, which forms the sole strength 
of the great Russian Empire, embracing nearly two 
thirds of the earth's surface, and covering an area 
of eighty millions of square miles. There is a power 
behind the army which is nearly as potent as any 
other element in maintaining the absolute sovereignty 
of the Emperor, and that is the Church which recog- 
nizes him as its head ; and where physical control 
might prove inadequate to enforce the wishes of the 
Tzar, religious influence, as directed by the priest- 
hood, would undoubtedly accomplish as much with 
the masses of the population as would force of arms. 
The clergy of the Greek Church are the faithful ser- 
vitors of absolutism, and from the nature of things 
must always be hearty supporters of the reigning 
monarch. It requires no remarkable insight for them 
to realize that their very existence as a priesthood 



266 DUE NORTH. 

depends upon the stability of the Empire. The Anar- 
chists, who entertain but one distinctive idea, admit 
of no fealty to God or man, and cherish as little re- 
spect for the Church as for the State. 

Alexander III. has probably at this writing one 
hundred millions of subjects, embracing the most re- 
markable diversity of nationalities and races of which 
it is possible to conceive. Since March 3, 1861, 
there have been no serfs in the Empire. Twenty 
millions of human beings who were slaves the day 
before, on that auspicious date were proclaimed free- 
men. All honor to the memory of him who made 
this bold and manly stride towards universal emanci- 
pation against the combined influence of the entire 
Russian nobility ! Whatever of political restlessness 
there may be existing among the upper classes of the 
Tzar's subjects is traceable in its origin to this freeing 
of the peasantry of the country. Like slavery in our 
own Southern States serfdom died hard, and its sup- 
porters are not yet all " reconstructed." Like the 
American negroes, the serfs were sold from master 
to master and treated like chattels ; humanity was 
not a relative term between noble and serf. Masters 
sent them to Siberia to work in the mines, or to serve 
in the army, or exchanged them for cattle or money, 
and often gambled them away by the dozen in a single 
night. They made or unmade families according to 
the heartless caprice of the moment, and unhesitat- 
ingly outraged every domestic tie. Before the abol- 
ishment of serfdom the Government and the nobles 



RELIGION AND SUPERSTITION. 267 

i 

owned all the land in Russia ; but to-day the former 
serfs own at least one third of the land whereon they 
live and which they cultivate, and for every acre (to 
their honor be it said) they have paid a fair market 
value, having accumulated the means by industry 
and rigid economy. An intelligent native merchant 
informed the author that self-respect seemed to have 
been at once implanted among the common people by 
the manifesto of March, 1861, and that a rapid social 
improvement has been clearly observable ever since. 
The better education of the rising generation is what 
is now most required to supplement the great act of 
emancipation ; and though this is being attempted in 
the various districts to a limited extent as we have 
shown, still it is but a slow condition of progress. 
Not until the Government takes the matter seriously 
in hand, using its authority and lending its liberal 
pecuniary aid, will anything of importance be accom- 
plished in this direction. 

The Tzar's dominion embraces every phase of reli- 
gion and of civilization. Portions of the Empire are 
as barbaric as Central Africa; others are semi-civil- 
ized, while a large share of the people inhabiting the 
cities assume the highest outward appearance of re- 
finement and culture. This diversity of character 
spreads over a country extending from the Great 
Wall of China on one side to the borders of Germany 
on the other ; from the Crimea in the South to the 
Polar Ocean in the far North. As to the national or 
State religion, — that of the Greek Church, — it seems 



268 DUE NORTH. 

to be based upon gross superstition, and is therefore 
all the more effective as a restraining principle from 
evil-doing among the great mass of poor ignorant 
creatures who respect scarcely anything else. Much 
genuine piety is observable among the Russians, a 
large proportion of the educated people being zealous 
church-goers, strictly observing all the outward forms 
of the religion they profess. In the churches there 
is no distinction of person; all are deemed equal 
before the Almighty Father. There are no seats in 
the temples of worship ; all the congregation stand 
or kneel, and during the services often prostrate them- 
selves upon the marble floor. The monks and nuns 
conduct a thriving business in the sale of sacred tapers, 
holy relics, images, wedding-rings, and also indulgen- 
ces and prayers, as in the Roman Catholic Church. 
Indeed, the resemblance in the forms and ceremonies 
of the two are to one not initiated almost identical. 

To commemorate such an event as leads other 
nations to erect triumphal arches, Russia builds 
churches. In St. Petersburg, the Church of St. Al- 
exander commemorates the first victory won by the 
Russians over the Swedes; St. Isaac's, the birth of 
Peter the Great ; Our Lady of Kazan, the triumph of 
Russian arms against the Persians and the Turks. 
In Moscow, St. Basil commemorates the conquest 
of Kazan ; the Donskoi Convent, the victory over the 
Crim Tartars ; and St. Saviour's, the expulsion of Na- 
poleon. Slava Bogu! — " Glory to God," — is an ex- 
pression ever upon the lips of the devout Russian, 



DAYS OF PENANCE AND DEVOTION. 269 

and he is only consistent to his Oriental instincts in 
the multiplication of fane and altar throughout his 
native-land. If fasting and prayer are indications of 
sincerity, he must be actuated by honest convictions, 
since he has twice the number of days in the year 
devoted to self-denial which are known to other re- 
ligionists. Every Wednesday and Friday, be his 
situation or condition what it may, he must abstain 
from meat. More than one half the days in a Russian 
year are devoted to fasting and humiliation. During 
seven weeks before Easter no flesh or fish, no milk, 
no eggs, and no butter can be partaken of without 
outraging the familiar rules of the Church. For fif- 
teen days in August a fast of great severity is held in 
honor of the Virgin's death. We do not pretend to 
give a list of the periods devoted to fast; these we 
have named are only examples. Every new house in 
which a man lives, every new shop which he opens 
for trade, must be formally blessed at the outset. So 
closely have religious passions passed into social life 
that the people are even more alive to its require- 
ments than the priesthood, save in those instances 
where perquisites are anticipated. 

The cost of everything in Russia, except the bare 
necessities, seemed to us to be exorbitant, — nice ar- 
ticles of dress or of simple wear being held at such 
prices as naturally leads foreigners to avoid all pur- 
chases which can conveniently be deferred. As to 
the native population who are able to expend money 
freely, they do not seem to care what price is charged 



270 DUE NORTH. 

them; their recklessness, indeed, in money matters 
- has long been proverbial. So long as they have the 
means to pay with, they do so ; when this is no longer 
the case, they seem to live with equal recklessness on 
credit. We were told that one third of the apparently 
affluent were bankrupt. Fancy articles which are 
offered for sale in the city stores are nearly all im- 
ported from Paris or Vienna ; very few lines of manu- 
factured goods are produced in the country. Opera 
and theatre tickets cost three times as much as in 
America ; and all select public exhibitions are charged 
for in a similar ratio, except a few which are organ- 
ized on a popular basis for the humbler classes, such 
as the tea and beer gardens. The theatres of St. 
Petersburg are after the usual European style of 
these structures, — all being large and convenient. 
As they are under the sole charge of the Government, 
they are conducted on a grand scale of excellence. 
Nothing but the choicest thing of its kind in dramatic 
representation is permitted, — only the best ballet and 
opera, aided by the most admirable scenery and me- 
chanical effects. The establishment known as the 
Italian Opera accommodates three thousand specta- 
tors without crowding. In what is called the Michael 
Theatre the best French troupes only appear ; and it 
may be safely said that the average performances 
excel those of Paris. A Government censor critically 
examines every piece before its performance. The 
prices paid by the directors for the services of the 
best European performers are almost fabulous; no 



POPULAR AMUSEMENTS. 271 

private enterprise could afford to disburse such liberal 
compensations to artists. The necessity for paying 
such extravagant rates arises partly from the disin- 
clination of prima-donnas and other dramatic artists 
to subject themselves to the arbitrary direction of a 
censorship which is sure to hold them strictly to the 
letter of their agreement, and which does not hesitate 
to inflict exemplary punishment for wilful departure 
from the same. Besides which, the rigor of the cli- 
mate is such as to create a dread among women-artists 
to encounter its exigencies. It is only during the 
winter months that the theatres are open, as in the 
summer season the court and fashionable people gen- 
erally are absent from the capital. 

Here, as in Copenhagen and Stockholm, the people 
are assiduous in improving the short summer weeks 
by devoting themselves heart and soul to out-door 
amusements. Night is turned into day ; the public 
gardens are crowded, — the entertainments consisting 
of light theatricals, music, acrobatic performances, 
dancing, and the like, which are kept up alternating 
with each other until long past midnight. The people 
in the mean time sit at little marble tables, and sip tea 
from tumblers, drink beer, coffee, and spirits, supple- 
mented by various light condiments, until finally those 
who drink fermented liquors become more than jolly. 
These places of course draw together all classes of 
people, and more especially are the nightly resort of 
the demi-monde. In European cities, generally, such 
resorts are compelled to close at midnight ; here they 



272 DUE NORTH. 

may last until daylight returns. The Sabbath is the 
most popular day of the seven at the public gardens, 
when day and evening performances take place. The 
Greek churches, like the Roman Catholic, are always 
open through the entire week, so that the devoutly- 
inclined can turn aside at any hour and bow before 
the altar, which to him typifies all that is holy. The 
Sabbath is therefore regarded here as it is in Rome, 
Paris, or Seville, — in the light of a holiday as well 
as a holy-day. After having attended morning Mass, 
a member of either church unhesitatingly seeks his 
favorite amusement. The horse-races of Paris, the 
bull-fights of Madrid, and the grand military-parades 
of St. Petersburg, all take place on Sunday. Few 
European communities find that repose and calmness 
in the day which seems best to accord with American 
sentiment. It cannot be supposed that a community 
which goes to bed so late, — seldom before two or three 
o'clock a. M., — can be early risers, and they certainly 
are not. Only the bakers' and butchers' shops and 
the bar-rooms are open before ten o'clock a. m., while 
general business is not resumed before about midday. 
The plodding laborer only is seen wending his way to 
work as the church-bells chime out the six o'clock 
matins ; and no matter how many churches, shrines, 
or chapels he may pass, at each one he lifts his hat, 
makes the sign of the cross upon his breast, and 
mutters a brief prayer. 

Every Russian city has a Gostinnoi-Dvor, or Bazaar, 
meaning literally the " Stranger's Court," — a sort of 



THE GOSTINNOI-DVOR. 273 

permanent fair, — a " bon-marche " on a large scale. 
That of St. Petersburg is situated on the Nevsky 
Prospect ; or rather it fronts upon that thoroughfare, 
but extends through to Great Garden Street. The 
structure devoted to this purpose is two stories in 
height, the second floor being reserved for wholesale 
business, while the basement or ground-floor consists 
of a multitude of retail shops, where nearly every con- 
ceivable kind of goods is offered for sale. No fire is 
allowed in the bazaar even in winter, except the tiny 
silver lamps which burn before the pictures of saints. 
To suppose that these could be dangerous would be 
sacrilege. There is one excellent rule in the Gostin- 
noi-Dvor : while other city shops ask various prices, 
and sell for whatever they can get, this great bazaar 
has fixed prices, and is supposed to adhere to them. 
Regarding the quality of the goods sold here, truth 
compels us to say that the intelligent traveller will 
hardly feel inclined to invest much money in their 
purchase. Pictures of saints and packs of cards are 
the two articles which find the largest sale in such 
places. A propensity to gamble is as natural to this 
people as it is to the Chinese. The popular cry of the 
Spanish lower classes is " bread and bulls ; " that of 
the Russians might be " saints and cards.'' Next 
to vodka, cards are the evil genius of the masses. 
Many are the dram-shops and potent the liquor where 
the idlers play with cards and liquid fire. We were 
speaking to a resident upon these matters, when he 
closed by saying : " Ah, yes, it is to be regretted ; but 

18 



274 DUE NORTH. 

what can you expect ? It is so hard to. be good, and 
so very easy to be bad ! " 

Coming out of the labyrinth of narrow alleys and 
long arcades of the bazaar upon the Nevsky Prospect 
side, we overtook a bevy of nursery girls with their 
juvenile charges bound for the shady paths and fra- 
grant precincts of the Summer Garden. These maids 
are here quite a social feature, and in their showy 
distinctive dress recall those of the Tuileries at Paris, 
the Prado at Madrid, or the Ceylon nurses of English 
officers' children at Colombo. These St. Petersburg 
domestics much affect the old Russian costume, with 
added vividness of color, producing a theatrical and 
gala-day effect. It seems to be quite a mark of fam- 
ily distinction to have a nurse thus bedecked about 
the house, or abroad with its baby-representative, 
while there is evident rivalry between the matronly 
employers in regard to the richness of the dresses 
worn by the maids. These costumes consist often of 
a bonnet like a diadem of red or blue velvet, embroi- 
dered with gold, beneath which falls the hair in two 
long braids. The robe is of some wadded damask, 
the waist just below the arms, supplemented by a 
very short skirt. Plenty of gold cord decks these 
garments, which are usually braided in fantastic 
figures. 

The one vehicle of Russia is the drosky, the most 
uncomfortable and unavailable vehicle ever con- 
structed for the use of man, but of which there are, 
nevertheless, over fifteen thousand in the streets of 






DROSKIES AND THEIR DRIVERS. 275 

the imperial city. It has very low wheels, a heavy 
awkward body, and is as noisy as a Concord coach. 
Some one describes it as being a cross between a cab 
and an instrument of torture. There is no rest for 
the occupant's back ; and while the seat is more than 
large enough for one, it is not large enough for two 
persons. It is a sort of sledge on wheels. The noise 
made by these low-running ugly conveyances as they 
are hurried by the drivers over the uneven rubble- 
stones of the streets is deafening. Why the Russians 
adhere so tenaciously to this ill-conceived four-wheeled 
conveyance, we could not divine. It has no special 
adaptability to the roads or streets of the country that 
we could uuderstand, while there are half-a-dozen Eu- 
ropean or American substitutes combining comfort, 
economy, and comeliness, which might be profitably 
adopted in its place. The legal charge for convey- 
ance in droskies is as moderate as is their accommo- 
dation, but a foreigner is always charged three or four 
times the regular fare. The poor ill-paid fellows who 
drive them form a distinct class, dressing all alike, 
in a short bell-crowned hat, a padded blue-cloth sur- 
tout, or wrapper, reaching to their feet and folded 
across the breast. This garment is buttoned under 
the left arm with a row of six small, close-set silver 
buttons, while a belt indicates where the waist should 
be. These drivers are a miserably ignorant class, 
sleeping doubled up on the front of the droskies night 
and day, when not employed. The vehicle is at once 
their house and their bed, and if one requires a drosky 



276 DUE NORTH. 

he first awakens the driver, who is usually curled up 
asleep like a dog. It is the only home these poor fel- 
lows have, in nine cases out of ten. The horses are 
changed at night after a day's service, but the driver 
remains at his post day and night. Unlike the reck- 
less drivers of Paris, Naples, and New York, the Rus- 
sian rarely strikes his horse with the whip, but is apt 
to talk to him incessantly, — " Go ahead ! we are in 
a hurry, my infant ; " or, " Take care of that stone ! " 
" Turn to the left, my pigeon ! " and so on. 

All St. Petersburg wear top-boots outside the panta- 
loons. Even mechanics and common laborers adopt 
this style ; but wherefore, except that it is the fashion, 
one cannot conceive. The common people universally 
wear red-cotton shirts hanging outside the panta- 
loons. It was surprising to see gentlemen wearing 
overcoats in mid-summer, when the temperature was 
such that Europeans would be perspiring freely though 
clad in the thinnest vestment. In winter the Rus- 
sian covers himself up to the very eyes in fur, and 
perhaps the contrast between fur and woollen makes 
sufficient difference with him. It was observed that 
the apparatus and organization for extinguishing fires 
in the city was very primitive, water being conveyed 
in a barrel-shaped vehicle, and other very simple 
means adopted. The water-ways of the city, with a 
proper hose-system, ought certainly to supply suffi- 
cient water for any possible exigency. In the several 
districts of the town lofty watch-towers are erected, 
from which a strict look-out is kept at all hours 



CLOSE SURVEILLANCE OF STRANGERS. 211 

for fires ; and a system of signals is adopted where- 
by the locality of any chance blaze can be plainly and 
promptly indicated. In the daytime this is done by 
means of black balls, and in the night by colored 
lights. But in St. Petersburg as in Paris destructive 
fires are of rare occurrence ; for if one breaks out, the 
houses are so nearly fire-proof that the damage is 
almost always confined to the apartment where it 
originates. 

In leaving St. Petersburg, it must be admitted that 
one encounters a great amount of formality relating 
to passports and other matters seemingly very need- 
less. Though the principal sights of the city are 
called free, yet one cannot visit them unattended by a 
well-known local guide or without disbursing liberally 
of fees. Foreigners are not left alone for a moment, 
and are not permitted to wander hither and thither 
in the galleries, as in other countries, or to examine 
freely for themselves. One is forbidden to make even 
pencil sketches or to take notes in the various palaces, 
museums, armories, or hospitals ; and if he would after- 
wards record his impressions, he must trust solely to 
memory. The author was subjected to constant sur- 
veillance in both St. Petersburg and Moscow, which was 
to say the least of it quite annoying ; his correspon- 
dence was also withheld from him, — but no serious 
trouble worth expatiating upon was experienced. In 
passing from city to city it is absolutely necessary to 
have one's passport vised, as no railroad agent will sell 
a ticket to the traveller without this evidence being 



278 DUE NORTH. 

exhibited to him ; and finally, upon preparing to leave 
the country, one's passport must show the official sig- 
nature authorizing this purpose. There is a proverb 
which says, " The gates of Russia are wide to those 
who enter, but narrow to those who would go out." 
No native of rank can leave the country without spe- 
cial permission, which is obtainable on the payment of 
a certain tax, though not unless it meets the Empe- 
ror's approval. Under former emperors this has been 
a source of considerable dissatisfaction to people who 
desired to travel abroad, and who could not obtain the 
needed permission of the Tzar, but we were told that 
under the present government much greater liberty 
of action is accorded to subjects of all classes in this 
respect. It is hardly necessary to remind the reader 
that in an absolute monarchy the will of the ruler is 
law. In Russia all power is centred in the Emperor. 
For the purpose of local administration, Poland, Fin- 
land, the Baltic provinces, and the Caucasus have each 
their own form of government, having been permitted 
to retain their local laws and institutions to a certain 
extent when they were not at variance with the gen- 
eral principle of the Empire. Though at the imperial 
headquarters of government the Emperor is aided by 
four great Councils, he is free to accept or reject their 
advice as he pleases. 

The censorship of the press is still enforced to a cer- 
tain extent, though as already intimated it is far from 
being so rigid as heretofore. At the H6tel d'Angle- 
terre, where the author made his temporary home, it 



CENSORSHIP OF THE PRESS. 279 

was noticed that a copy of the "New York Herald " 
was kept on file for the use of the guests ; but it was 
also observed that it was not delivered from the Post- 
office until the day subsequent to its receipt, which 
gave the officials ample time to examine and pass 
upon the contents. On the day following our arrival 
the Herald was delivered at the hotel minus a leading 
article, which had been cut out by the Post-office offi- 
cials, who did not consider the subject, whatever it 
may have been, wholesome mental food to lay before 
the Emperor's subjects. On expressing surprise to 
our host at this mutilation of the newspaper, we were 
answered only by a very significant shrug of the shoul- 
ders. Residents are very careful about expressing 
any opinion regarding the official acts of the Govern- 
ment. Books, newspapers, or reading matter in any 
form if found among a traveller's baggage is generally 
taken possession of by the officers of the customs ; but 
if one is willing to submit to the necessary red tape 
and expense, they will be returned to him upon his 
leaving the country. 



CHAPTER XV. 

On the Road to Moscow. — Eussian Peasantry. — Military Station 
Masters. — Peat Fuel for the War-Ships. — Farm Products. — 
Scenery. — Wild-Flowers. — City of Tver. — Inland Navigation. — 
The Great River Volga. — The Ancient Muscovite Capital. — 
Spires and Minarets. — A Russian Mecca. — Pictorial Signs. — The 
Kremlin. — The Royal Palace. — King of Bells. — Cathedral of 
St. Basil. — The Royal Treasury. — Church of Our Saviour. — 
Chinese City. — Rag Fair. — Manufactures. 



The distance from St. Petersburg to Moscow is a 
little over four hundred miles, the railroad built by 
American contractors having been constructed abso- 
lutely upon a straight line, without regard to popula- 
tion or the situation of considerable towns lying near 
the route. The Russians measure distance by versts. 
The line between the two cities is six hundred and 
four versts in length, which is equivalent to four hun- 
dred and three English miles. At the time when the 
route for the railroad was surveying there was a great 
diversity of interest developed as to the exact course 
it should follow, and bitter disputes grew up between 
individuals and communities. These varied antagonis- 
tic ideas at last culminated in so decided an expression 
of feeling that the commissioners having the matter 
in charge were forced to appeal to the Emperor to 
settle the matter. He listened to the statement of 



RUSSIAN RAILROADS. 281 

facts, examined the topographical maps laid before 
him representing the country over which the proposed 
road was to pass, and settled the matter in true auto- 
cratic style. Taking a rule, he laid it upon the map 
between the two cities and drew with a pencil a per- 
fectly straight line from one to the other, saying to 
his commissioners, " Build the road exactly upon that 
line ; " and it was done. The cars upon this route carry 
the traveller directly into the heart of Russia. One is 
apt to become a little impatient at the moderate speed 
attained upon the railroads in this country, twenty-five 
miles per hour being the average rate of progress. 
Yet the roads are remarkably well built, and the roll- 
ing stock, as a rule, is superior to that generally found 
in Southern Europe. It is a remarkable fact that at 
the breaking out of the Crimean war there were less 
than eight hundred miles of railroad in the Tzar's en- 
tire dominions, while to-day there are about twenty 
thousand miles of well-constructed and efficient roads 
of this character, forming a complete system permeat- 
ing all populous sections of the country ; and to this 
may be added an annual increase of from six to eight 
hundred miles. Had Nicholas I. possessed the means 
of moving large bodies of troops with promptness 
from one part of his extended domain to another 
which now exist, England and France would have 
found their dearly-bought and but partially-achieved 
victory in the Crimea an impossibility. While her 
enemies possessed rapid transit from all points, and 
open communication with their base of supplies both 



282 DUE NORTH. 

by steamboat and railroad, Russia's soldiers had 
hundreds of miles to march on foot, over nearly im- 
passable roads, in order to reach the seat of war. 
Now the Emperor can concentrate troops at any 
desired point as promptly as any other European 
power. 

On the trip from St. Petersburg to Moscow one pro- 
ceeds through scenery of the most monotonous and, 
we must add, of the most melancholy character, — flat 
and featureless, made up of forests of fir-trees, in- 
terspersed with the white birch and long reaches of 
wide, cheerless, deserted plains. The dense forest 
forms a prominent feature of Russia north of the line 
of travel between the two great cities, covering in that 
region fully a third part of the surface of the country ; 
indeed, the largest forest in Europe is that of Volsko- 
niki, near the source of the Yolga. On the contrary, 
to the south of Moscow the vast plains or steppes are 
quite free from wood, in fact only too often consisting 
of mere sandy deserts, unfit for habitation. It seemed 
as though no country could be more thinly inhabited 
or more wearisomely tame. Now and again a few 
sheep were seen cropping the thin brown moss and 
straggling verdure, tended by a boy clad in a fur cap 
and skin capote, forming a strong contrast to his bare 
legs and feet. Few people are seen and no considera- 
ble communities, though occasional sections exhibit fair 
cultivation. This is partly explained by the fact that 
the road was built simply to connect Moscow and St. 
Petersburg, as already explained. Though inhabited 



THE RUSSIAN PEASANTRY. 283 

for centuries by fierce and active races, the appear- 
ance here is that of primitiveness ; the log-cabins seem 
like temporary expedients, — wooden tents, as it were. 
The men and women who are seen at the stations are 
of the Calmuck type, the ugliest of all humanity, with 
high cheek-bones, flattened noses, dull gray eyes, cop- 
per-colored hair, and bronzed complexions. Their food 
is not of a character to develop much physical comeli- 
ness. The one vegetable which the Russian peasant cul- 
tivates is cabbage ; this mixed with dried mushrooms, 
and rarely anything else, makes the soup upon which 
he lives. Add to this soup a porridge made of maize, 
and we have about the entire substance of their regular 
food. If they produce some pork and corn, butter and 
cheese, these are sold at the nearest market, and are 
of far too dainty a character for them, to indulge in, 
since a certain amount of money must be raised some- 
how for the annual visit of the tax-gatherer. We are 
speaking of the humble masses ; of course there are 
some thrifty peasants, who manage to live on a more 
liberal scale, and to provide better subsistence for their 
families, but they form the exception. The railroad 
is owned and operated by the Government, and it was a 
little ludicrous to see the station-masters in full uni- 
form wherever the train stopped, with their swords 
and spurs clanking upon the wooden platforms. A 
naval officer might with just as much propriety wear 
spurs upon the quarter-deck as a local railroad agent 
on shore. But the customs here are unlike those of 
other lands ; Russia resembles herself alone. 



284 DUE NORTH. 

With the exception of the provinces which border 
on the Caucasus, all Russia is prairie-like in surface. 
The moderate slopes and elevations of the Urals scarce- 
ly break this vast plain which covers so large a share of 
the globe. Two fifths of European Russia are covered 
with woods, interspersed with morass and arable land ; 
but as regards fuel, the peat beds in the central re- 
gions are practically inexhaustible, forming a cheap 
and ever-present means for the production of heat in 
the long dreary winters, as well as for steam-produc- 
ing purposes on railroads and in manufactories. In 
the general absence of coal mines, the importance of the 
peat-product can hardly be over-estimated. It is con- 
sidered by consumers that the same cubic quantity of 
peat will yield one third more heat in actual use than 
wood, retaining it longer ; besides which it possesses 
some other minor advantages over the product of the 
forest. At some points on the line of the railroad 
immense mounds of peat were observed which had 
been mined, dried, and stacked for future use by the 
employees of the Government. The visible amount of 
the article was often so great as to be quite beyond 
estimate by a casual observer. The long • broad 
stacks in more than one instance covered several 
acres of land, closely ranged with narrow road-ways 
between them. They were twenty feet or more in 
height, and conical-shaped to shed the rain. Prepared 
with rock-oil, coal-dust, and some other combustible, 
we were told that this peat had been successfully used 
on the Russian war-steamers, proving superior to coal 



MINERALS AND AGRICULTURE. 285 

in the ordinary form, besides taking up much less 
room in the ships' bunks. As to procure fuel for 
her ships of war has been a problem difficult to solve 
heretofore, this immense storage of peat looked to us 
as if designed to meet this special purpose. The peasan- 
try, as we have said, are generally quite poor, though 
many of them now own their little farms, which the 
want of pecuniary means compels them to work with 
the most primitive tools ; besides which they are en- 
tirely unaided by the light of modern agricultural 
experience. No other country, however, is so rich 
in horses, mines of gold, silver, copper, and precious 
stones, or in the more useful products of iron, lead, 
and zinc. The fecundity of the Russians is some- 
thing elsewhere unequalled ; still the inhabitants aver- 
age but about fifteen to the square mile, while Ger- 
many has nearly eighty, and England a hundred and 
fourteen. The average climate is not unfavorable to 
health, though there are insalubrious districts whose 
condition is traceable to local causes. The birch for- 
ests with their tremulous, silvery aspect, delicate and 
graceful, increase as one penetrates towards central 
Russia upon this line; and there is ample evidence 
of fair fertility of soil, which is by no means made 
the most of. Rye, barley, oats, and flax seem to con- 
stitute the principal crops under cultivation : while it 
was observed that nearly every cabin, however hum- 
ble, had its low, sheltered line of rudely-constructed 
beehives, honey taking the place of sugar among the 
common people. The villages were of rare occurrence, 



286 DUE NORTH. 

but when seen presented road-ways as . broad as the 
boulevards of great cities, yet only lined by low, turf- 
roofed cabins. The winter season is so long and se- 
vere that it is difficult for the peasant to wrest from 
the half-reluctant earth sufficient upon which to sub- 
sist. He lives in a log-cabin of his own construction ; 
wife, daughter, and son all join the father in hard 
field-labor, not a small share of which was observed 
to be ditching, in order to render the marshy soil 
available for crops. The brief season must be made 
the most of, and therefore many hours are given to 
work and few to sleep. These peasants are surrounded 
by all sorts of superstitions from their very birth. 
Each of the many festivals of the year has its strange 
rites, songs, and legends. The woods are believed to 
be inhabited by demons and water-sprites, and peopled 
by invisible dwarfs and genii. They still trust to 
charms and incantations for the cure of diseases, like 
the Lapps and other semi-barbarians, while their rude 
log-cabins are but one degree better than the habita- 
tions of these nomads. Nothing could be more simple 
than the interior arrangements of their cabins, never 
omitting, however, the picture of some saint, before 
which a lamp is kept burning day and night. There 
is always a rude table, some pine benches, and a huge 
stove. A wooden shelf raised a few feet from the 
floor is the sleeping-place, and the bedding consists 
of sheep-skins, the condition of which, long used 
and seldom if ever washed, may be imagined. A 
painted frame-house is hardly to be seen outside of 



THE FLORAL DISPLAY. 287 

the large towns ; no peasant would aspire to such a 
luxury. 

Forests of such density of undergrowth as to defy 
ingress to man frequently line the railway for miles 
together ; but the dull, dreary loneliness of the way 
is relieved by occasional glimpses of wild-flowers 
scattered along the road-side in great variety, diffus- 
ing indescribable freshness. Among them, now and 
again, a tall, glutinous, scarlet poppy would rear its 
gaudy head, nodding lazily in the currents of air, and 
leading one to wonder how it came in such company. 
A peculiar little blue-flower was frequently observed 
with yellow petals, which seemed to look up from the 
surrounding nakedness and desolation with the appeal- 
ing expression of human eyes. Snow-white daisies 
and the delicate little hare-bell came also into view at 
intervals, struggling for a brief, sad existence, unless 
the elfin crew consoled them beneath the moon's pale 
ray. We must not fail to mention that the stations 
are beautified by floral displays of no mean character. 
It seems that professional gardeners travel on the 
line, remaining long enough at each place to organize 
the skilful culture of garden-plants by the keeper's 
family during the summer season ; but it made one 
shudder to imagine what must be the aspect of this 
region during the long frost-locked Russian winter. 

On reaching Tver we crossed the Volga by a high 
iron bridge, — one of the greatest rivers of the world, 
the Mississippi of Russia. The average traveller does 
not stop at Tver any longer than is necessary for the 



288 DUE NORTH. 

purpose of the railroad officials, but it is a consider- 
able and rising place, especially since the railroad 
between the two great cities chanced to run through 
its borders. It contains a little over thirty thousand 
inhabitants ; has its Kremlin, cathedral, theatre, li- 
brary, and public parks. An English-speaking Rus- 
sian, evidently a man of business and affairs who was 
bound for Moscow, gave us a very good idea of Tver. 
Its locality upon the river makes it the recipient of 
great stores of grain, wool, and hemp for distribution 
among western manufacturers. Wood-cutting and 
rafting also engage a large number of the population, 
the product in the shape of dimension lumber, deals, 
etc. finally being shipped to western European ports. 
Our informant also spoke of this being the centre of 
an intelligent community scarcely exceeded by the 
best society of St. Petersburg. From this point the 
river is navigable for over two thousand miles to far 
off Astrakhan. In a country so extensive, and which 
possesses so small a portion of seaboard, rivers have 
a great importance ; and until the introduction of the 
growing system of railroads, they formed nearly the 
only available means of transportation. The canals, 
rivers, and lakes are no longer navigated by barges 
propelled by horse-power. Steam-tugs and small pas- 
senger steamboats now tow great numbers of flat-bot- 
tomed boats, which are universally of large capacity. 
Freight by this mode of conveyance is very cheap ; 
we were told at Nijni Novgorod that goods could 
be transported to that great business centre from the 



RUSSIAN RIVERS. 289 

Ural Mountains, a distance of nearly fourteen hun- 
dred miles by river, for twenty-five shillings per ton. 
The Yolga is the largest river in Europe ; measured 
through all its windings, it has a length of twenty- 
four hundred miles from its rise among the Yaldai 
Hills, five hundred and fifty feet above the sea-level, 
to its debouchure into the Caspian. Many cities and 
thriving towns are picturesquely situated mostly on 
its right bank, where available sites upon elevated 
ground have been found, — as in the case of Kostroma, 
and also at Nijni-Novgorod, where it is joined by the 
Oka. In addition to these rivers there are also the 
Obi, the Yenisei, the Lena, the Don, and the Dnieper, 
all rivers of the first class, whose entire course from 
source to mouth is within Russian territory, saying 
nothing of the several large rivers tributary to these. 
We must not forget, however, those frontier rivers,, 
the Danube, the Amoor, and the Oxus, all of which 
are auxiliary to the great system of canals that con- 
nect the headwaters of all the important rivers of 
Russia. The Yolga by this system communicates 
with the White Sea, the Baltic, and the Euxine, — 
statistics showing that no less than fifteen thousand 
vessels navigate this great river annually. 

While we are placing these interesting facts before 
the reader relating to the material greatness and facili- 
ties of the Empire, we are also approaching its ancient 
capital, upon which the far-reaching past has laid its 
consecrating hand. It is found to stand upon a vast 
plain, through which winds the Moskva River, from 

19 



290 DUE NORTH. 

which the city derives its name. The villages natu- 
rally become more populous as we advance, and gilded 
domes and cupolas occasionally loom up above the 
tree-tops on either side of the road, indicating a Greek 
church here and there amid isolated communities. 
As in approaching Cairo one sees first the pyramids 
of Gheezeh and afterwards the graceful minarets and 
towers of the Egyptian city gleaming through the gold- 
en haze, so as we gradually emerge from the thinly- 
inhabited, half-cultivated Russian plains and draw near 
the capital, first there comes into view the massive tow- 
ers of the Kremlin and the Church of Our Saviour with 
its golden dome, followed by the hundreds of glittering 
steeples, belfries, towers, and star-gilded domes which 
characterize the ancient city. We were told that the 
many-towered sacred edifices of Russia have a reli- 
gious significance in the steeples, domes, and spires 
with which they are so profusely decorated. Usually 
the middle projection is the most lofty, and is sur- 
rounded by four others, the forms and positions vary- 
ing with a significance too subtile for one to understand 
who is not initiated in the tenets of the Greek Church. 
Though some of these temples have simply a cupola in 
the shape of an inverted bowl, terminating in a gilded 
point capped by a cross and crescent, few of them 
have less than five or six superstructures, and some 
have sixteen, of the most whimsical device, — bright, 
gilded chains depending from them, affixed to the 
apex of each pinnacle. When one looks for the first 
time upon the roofs of the Muscovite city as it lies 



EVENTFUL MOSCOW. 291 

under the glare of the warm summer sun, the scene 
is both fascinating and confusing. The general as- 
pect is far more picturesque at Moscow than at the 
capital on the Neva, because the city is here located 
upon undulating and in some parts even hilly ground ; 
besides which St. Petersburg is decidedly European, 
while Moscow is Tartar in its very atmosphere. The 
first is the visible growth of modern ideas ; the last 
is the symbol of the past. 

Though Moscow has been three times nearly de- 
stroyed, — first, by the Tartars in the fourteenth cen- 
tury ; second, by the Poles in the seventeenth century ; 
and again, at the time of the French invasion under 
Napoleon, in 1812, — still it has sprung from its ashes 
each time as if by magic power, and has never lost its 
original character, being a more splendid and pros- 
perous capital than ever before since its foundation, 
and is to-day rapidly increasing in the number of 
its population. The romantic character of its his- 
tory, so mingled with protracted wars, civil conflicts, 
sieges, and conflagrations, makes it seem like a fabu- 
lous city. The aggregate of the population is not 
much if any less than that of St. Petersburg, while the 
territory which it covers will measure over twenty 
miles in circumference. " In spite of all the ravages 
and vicissitudes through which Moscow has passed in 
the thousand years of its existence," said a resident 
to us, " probably no city in the world is less changed 
from its earliest years." Descriptions of the place 
written by travellers nearly three centuries since might 



292 DUE NORTH. 

pass for a correct exhibit of the ancient capital to- 
day. The impress of the long Tartar occupation in 
the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries still remains 
both in the architecture and the manners and customs 
of the people, while much of its original barbaric 
splendor permeates everything. At St. Petersburg 
the overpowering influence of European civilization 
is keenly felt ; here, that of Oriental mysticism still 
prevails. 

The city is unique taken as a whole. One seems to 
breathe in a semi-Asiatic barbarism while strolling 
through its quaint streets and antiquated quarters. 
There are no avenues long enough to form a perspec- 
tive, the streets winding like a river through a broad 
meadow, but undulating so as occasionally to give 
one a bird's-eye view of the neighborhood. Still there 
are modern sections which might be taken out of 
Vienna, London, Dresden, or Paris, for one finds 
characteristics of them all combined mingled with the 
gilded domes of an Indian city, and the graceful min- 
arets of Egypt. A certain modern varnish is now 
and then observable. Gas has been introduced, and 
tramways are laid in some of the principal thorough- 
fares. Like the Manzanares at Madrid or the Arno at 
Florence, the Moskva is not a deep river, though its 
channel conveys ten times the amount of water that 
flows in those just named. It winds ribbon-like in 
and about the city, adding greatly to its picturesque- 
ness as seen from an elevation. True, this city is in 
a central position as regards the length and breadth 



PILGRIMAGES TO MOSCOW. 293 

of Russia, but that is about all one can say in favor 
of the location. St. Petersburg reclaimed from the 
Finland swamps has the commerce of the world at 
its door, and therein presents a raison d'etre, which 
almost excuses the labor and loss of life and treasure 
which it cost. 

Moscow is to the Russian what Mecca is to the 
pious Moslem, and he calls it by the endearing name 
of " Mother." Like Kief and the Troitzkoi, it is the 
object of pious pilgrimage to thousands annually, who 
come from long distances and always on foot. The 
ludicrously illustrated signs are as numerous here as 
they are in the capital, often running into caricature. 
For instance, a fruit-dealer puts out a gaudily- painted 
scene representing a basket of fruit and its carrier 
coming to grief, the basket and contents falling from 
the carrier's head and the fruit flying in all directions. 
A milk-shop exhibited a crude sign depicting a strug- 
gle between a hungry calf and a dairy-maid as to which 
should obtain the lacteal deposit from the cow. These 
signs answer their purpose, and speak a mute language 
intelligible to the Russian multitude. The city is said 
to have once contained " forty times forty churches 
and chapels," but it has not so many to-day, though 
there must be between six and eight hundred. The 
ambassadors of Holstein said in 1633 that there were 
two thousand churches and chapels in the capital. 
The Kremlin which crowns a hill is the central point 
of the city, and is enclosed by high walls, battlement 
rising upon battlement, flanked by massive towers. 



294 DUE NORTH. 

The name is Tartar, and signifies a fortress. As such 
it is unequalled for its vastness, its historical associa- 
tions, and the wealth of its sanctuaries. It was founded 
six or seven hundred years ago, and is an enclosure 
studded with cathedrals covering broad streets and 
spacious squares. That of Krasnoi exhibits a bronze 
monument in its centre erected in honor of Minimi 
and Tojarsky, two Muscovite patriots. The Krem- 
lin is a citadel and a city within itself, being the 
same to Moscow that the Acropolis was to Athens. 
The buildings are a strange conglomerate of architec- 
ture, including Tartarian, Hindu, Chinese, and Gothic, 
exhibited in cathedrals, chapels, towers, convents, and 
palaces. We did not count them, but were told that 
there were thirty-two churches within the walls. The 
cathedral of the Assumption is perhaps the most note- 
worthy, teeming as it does with historic interest, and 
being filled with tombs and pictures from its dark 
agate floor to the vast cupola. Here, from the time 
of Ivan the Great to that of the present Emperor, the 
Tzars have all been crowned ; and here Peter placed 
the royal insignia upon the head of his second wife, 
the Livonian peasant-girl. One picture of the Virgin 
in this church is surrounded by diamonds and other 
precious stones which are valued at half a million of 
dollars. It is to be presumed that on the occasion of 
an Emperor's coronation, or that of some great reli- 
gious festival, the squares, streets, and areas gener- 
ally of the Kremlin become crowded with ecclesias- 
tics, citizens, strangers, soldiers, and courtiers in gala 



THE KREMLIN IN MOSCOW. 295 

array ; but it seemed a little dreary and lonely to us 
amid all its antiquity and mildewed splendor. Silence 
reigned supreme, save for the steady tread of the sen- 
tinels ; all was loneliness, but for the presence of the 
sight-seer and his guide. However busy the city close 
at hand, commerce and trade do not enter within the 
walls of the Kremlin. One's thoughts were busy 
enough, over-stimulated in fact, while strolling through 
the apartments of the Imperial Palace. In imagina- 
tion, these low-studded apartments, secret divans and 
closets became repeopled by their former tenants. It 
was remembered that even to the days of Peter the 
Great Oriental seclusion was the fate of empresses 
and princesses, upon whom the highest state officials 
might not dare to look, — whose faces in short were 
always hidden. But scandal says that thus unnatu- 
rally secluded, their woman wit taught them ways of 
compensation ; for in spite of guards and bolts, they 
received at times visits from their secret lovers, the 
great risk encountered but adding zest to such clandes- 
tine achievements. To be sure, as a penalty a head 
was now and then severed from the owner's body, and 
some gay Lothario was knouted and sent off to Siberia 
to work out his life in the mines; but that did not 
change human nature, to which royalty is as amen- 
able as the rest of creation. The grand Palace as it 
now stands was built by the Emperor Nicholas, or 
rather it was repaired and enlarged by him, embra- 
cing all the ancient portions as originally designed, 
but the rest of the structure so extended as to afford 



296 DUE NORTH. 

suites of royal state apartments which are unsurpassed 
by any palace in the world, either in spaciousness, mag- 
nificence of finish or furniture. The Throne Room 
is beyond comparison the most superb apartment of 
its character which the author has ever seen. Mag- 
nificent as the interior is, the external architectural 
effect of the Palace is in such decided contrast with 
that of the surrounding churches, monasteries, towers, 
and sacred gates as to create a singular incongruity. 

The venerable, crenellated walls of the Kremlin, 
which measure about two miles in circumference, 
forming nearly a triangle, are pierced by five gates of 
an imposing character, to each of which is attributed 
a religious or historical importance. Often have in- 
vading hosts battered at these gates, and sometimes 
gained an entrance; but strange to say, they have 
always in the end been worsted by the faithful 
Muscovites. Over the Redeemer's Gate, so called, is 
affixed a wonder-working picture of the Saviour, which 
is an object of great and universal veneration. No 
one, not even the Emperor, passes beneath it without 
removing his hat and bowing the head. A miracle 
is supposed to have been wrought in connection with 
this picture of the Redeemer at the time when the 
retreating French made a vain attempt to blow up the 
buildings of the Kremlin; hence the special honor 
accorded to it. The gate itself was erected in 1491, 
and is like the main tower of a large cathedral or an 
isolated campanile. It is painted red, with green 
spires, and flanked on the sides by small chapels. 



TOWER OF IVAN THE GREAT. 297 

The National Armory, also within the walls, is of 
great interest, quite unsurpassed in its collection of 
Oriental arms, but those of all nations are also well 
represented. It will be remembered that Moscow was 
in the olden time as celebrated for the excellence of 
its steel weapons, and especially for the temper of its 
sword blades, as were Toledo and Damascus. In the 
grand courtyard of the Kremlin, near that pillar-like 
structure the Tower of Ivan, hundreds of Napoleon's 
captured cannon lay idly on the earth, recalling the 
tragic story of the French invasion ; but then it was 
remembered that the French have also at Paris their 
Column of VendOme, the encircling bas-reliefs of 
which contain the metal of many captured Russian 
cannon. So while scores of battle-torn Muscovite 
flags hang aloft in the church of the Invalides at the 
French capital, the tri-color also decks the walls of 
Peter and Paul in the fortifications of St. Peters- 
burg, — toys in " that mad game the world so loves to 
play," but, alas ! what do they represent but condensed 
drops of blood ? 

Opposite the Arsenal stands the Senate House of 
Moscow, the High Court of Appeals, built by Cathe- 
rine II. The main hall is of great capacity and mag- 
nificence ; the whole building underwent complete 
restoration in 1866. The summit of the Tower of 
Ivan the Great, erected in 1600, affords a widespread 
view of the city in every direction ; and perhaps it 
may be said to be the best that can be obtained. It 
is one of the most conspicuous structures in the 



298 DUE NORTH. 

Kremlin, standing partially by itself, and is seen from 
a long distance as one approaches by rail. The tower 
consists of five stories, and is three hundred and 
twenty-five feet in height. The basement and three 
stories above it are octagonal, the last cylindrical, 
the whole embracing a wild confusion of design. 
Half-way up is a gallery from whence the former 
sovereigns used to harangue the people. The lower 
story is a chapel dedicated to Saint John, while the 
other stories contain many bells, the heaviest of 
which, we were told, weighed over sixty tons. In 
the upper portion there is a chime of silver bells 
which daily ring forth the national anthem at merid- 
ian. The racket and din produced when all the bells 
in the tower are rung together, as they are on Easter 
eve, must be deafening. 

The famous King of Bells of which we have all 
heard so much, and which according to the records 
was tolled at the birth of Peter the Great, stands near 
the foot of the Tower of Ivan. It is broken, but 
weighs in its present condition nearly four hundred 
and fifty thousand pounds. The piece broken from 
its side, which is seen close at hand, weighs eleven 
tons. The height of the bell is twenty-one feet. 
When it was cast in 1730, by order of the Empress 
Anne, the gold, silver, and copper consumed in the 
operation weighed ninety-one hundred and twenty 
tons, valued at the royal sum of half a million dol- 
lars. History tells us that the casting took place 
with religious ceremonies, and royal ladies vied with 



THE CATHEDRAL OF ST. BASIL. 299 

one another in throwing their golden ornaments into 
the great caldron which supplied the molten metal. 
Doubtless this very generosity of contribution only 
served to impart brittleness to the bell. As to im- 
proving the purity of tone, modern experience shows 
that foreign metals, however pure in themselves, 
would detract from that. After the great bell fell 
from the supporting-tower, — which was destroyed by 
fire, and which is supposed to have stood very nearly 
over the spot where the "bell now rests, — it lay buried 
in the earth for over a hundred years, until it was dug 
up and placed on its present foundation by order of the 
late Emperor Nicholas I. As we stood there beside 
the monster bell, a shudder passed over us sufficiently 
visible to attract the observation of the guide. " Is 
monsieur cold ? " he asked. " No, it was only a pass- 
ing thought that moved us," was the reply. " Ah ! 
something of far-off America ? " he suggested. " Nearer 
than that," was the response. " It was the recollec- 
tion of that terrible fifty-three thousand pounds of bell- 
metal which swings in the cupola of St. Isaac's. If that 
comparatively baby-bell could make one so thoroughly 
uncomfortable, what might not this giant do under sim- 
ilar circumstances!" It is doubtful, however, if the 
guide clearly understood to what the author referred. 

The most strikingly fantastic and remarkable struc- 
ture architecturally in all Moscow is the Cathedral 
of St. Basil, which is absolutely top-heavy with spires, 
domes, and minarets, ornamented in the most irreg- 
ular and unprecedented maimer. Yet as a whole the 



300 DUE NORTH. 

structure is not inharmonious with its unique sur- 
roundings, the semi-Oriental, semi-barbaric atmos- 
phere in which it stands. It is not within the walls 
of the Kremlin, but is located just outside and near 
the Redeemer's Gate, from which point the best view 
of it may be enjoyed. No two of its towering pro- 
jections are alike, either in height, shape, or orna- 
mentation. The coloring throughout is as various as 
the shape, being in yellow, green, blue, golden-gilt, and 
silver. Each spire and dome has its glittering cross ; 
and when the sun shines upon the group, it is like the 
bursting of a rocket at night against a background of 
azure blue, It is of this singular, whimsical, and pic- 
turesque structure that the story is told how Ivan the 
Terrible caused the architect's eyes to be blinded for- 
ever when his work was completed and approved, in 
order that he might never be able to produce another 
temple like it. The reader need hardly credit the 
story however, since it has been attributed to so many 
other structures and individuals as greatly to impair 
its application in this instance. Space would not suf- 
fice us were we to attempt to describe the interior of 
St. Basil; but it is as peculiar as is the exterior. 
Each of the domes and towers forms the apex to a 
separate chapel, so that the cathedral is divided into 
a dozen and more altars dedicated to as many differ- 
ent saints. The interior is painted throughout in 
arabesque. Napoleon ordered his soldiers to destroy 
this cathedral ; but fortunately, in the haste and con- 
fusion attending the retreat of the French army, the 



THE TREASURY OF THE KREMLIN. 301 

command was not executed. While looking upon St. 
Basil, with its myriad pinnacles flashing in the rays of 
the sun, it was natural to recall Hawthorne's quaint 
idea, that were edifices built to the sound of music 
some would appear to be constructed under the influ- 
ence of grave and solemn tones, others, like this 
unique temple, to have danced forth to light fantastic 
airs and waltzes. In front of the many-domed cathe- 
dral is a circular stone from whence the Tzars of old 
were accustomed to proclaim their edicts ; and it is 
also known as the Lobnoe Miesto, that is, " The Place 
of the Skull," because of the many executions that 
have taken place upon it. Ivan the Terrible rendered 
the spot infamous by the series of executions which 
he ordered to take place here, the victims being 
mostly innocent and patriotic persons of both sexes. 
Here Prince Scheviref was impaled by order of this 
same tyrant, and here several others of royal birth 
were recklessly sacrificed. In looking upon St. Basil 
one is almost sure to be reminded of the Alhambra, 
in Moorish Grenada. Notwithstanding its strangely 
conglomerate character, no one can say that it is 
not symmetrical and justly balanced in its various 
lines ; still, so unreal is its whole as to seem like a 
creation in some magic Arabian tale, an unsubstantial 
structure of the imagination. 

The Treasury of the Kremlin, erected so late as 
1851 3 is a historical museum of crowns, thrones, state 
costumes, and royal regalia generally, including in the 
latter department the royal robes of Peter the Great ; 



302 DUE NORTH. 

also his crown in which there are about nine hundred 
large diamonds, and that of his widow Catherine I., 
which contains about three thousand of the same pre- 
cious stones, besides one grand ruby of extraordinary 
value. One comes away from the labyrinth of pala- 
ces, churches, arsenals, museums, and treasury of the 
citadel, after viewing their accumulation of riches, 
absolutely dazed and entirely surfeited. Properly to 
examine the Treasury alone would require many days. 
It is a marvel of accumulated riches, the proud spoils 
of time. Here are to be seen the crowns of many now 
defunct kingdoms, such as those of Kazan, Georgia, 
Astrakhan, and Poland, — all heavy with gold and 
precious stones. The crown-jewels of England and 
Germany combined would hardly equal in value these 
treasures. The most venerable of the crowns which 
were shown us here is that of Monomachus, brought 
from Byzantium more than eight hundred years ago. 
This emblem is covered with jewels of the choicest 
character, among which are steel-white diamonds and 
rubies of pigeon' s-blood hue, such as do not find their 
way into jewellers' shops in our day. Think of the 
centuries this vast wealth has lain idle upon these 
royal crowns, and of the aggregate sum in current 
money which it represents ; then calculate the annual 
loss of interest, say at three per cent per annum, and 
the result will reach a sum approximating to the amount 
of the National debt of Great Britain ! 

While viewing the varied attractions within the 
walls of the Kremlin one could not but recall a page 



CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOUR. 303 

from history, and remember the brave, heroic, self- 
sacrificing means which the people of this Asiatic city 
adopted to repel the invading and victorious enemy. 
It was an act of sublime desperation to place the torch 
within the sanctuary of Russia and to destroy all, sa- 
cred and profane, so that the enemy should also be de- 
stroyed. It was a deed of undaunted patriotism, and 
the grandest sacrifice ever made to national honor by 
any people. " Who would have thought that a nation 
would burn its own capital ? " said Napoleon. 

The Church of our Saviour is perhaps one of the 
finest as it is also the most modern cathedral in the 
country, its snow-white walls, capped by five golden 
domes, being the most prominent object to meet the 
eye as one looks at the city from the high terrace of 
the Kremlin. It stands upon a natural rise of ground, 
a plateau overlooking the Bridge of Moskva Rekoi, 
quite by itself, covering seventy-three thousand square 
feet, surrounded by open grounds, which are planted 
with flowering shrubs, blooming flowers, and thrifty 
young trees. Begun in 1812 to commemorate the de- 
liverance of Moscow from the French, the edifice has 
but just been completed. It is in the Graeco-Byzantine 
style ; the top of the cross upon the centre cupola is 
three hundred and forty feet above the ground. The 
foundation is of granite, but the entire building is 
faced with white marble. The interior is gorgeously 
decorated with frescos from Biblical and Russian 
history, and is dazzling in its vast richness of detail. 
The interior of St. Isaac's at St. Petersburg has been 



304 DUE NORTH. 

closely imitated in some important particulars. The 
entire floor is of marble, and the walls are lined with 
exquisite varieties of the same. Here on the 25th of 
December is annually celebrated, with great pomp and 
ceremony, the retreat of the French invaders from 
Russian soil. " God with us," is the motto sculptured 
over the grand entrance of this magnificent temple, 
the aggregate cost of which was over twelve millions 
of dollars. 

Lying on the east side of the Kremlin and adjoining 
its walls is a section of the city also enclosed within 
high walls, known as the Chinese City. It is a queer 
division of the metropolis, with towers and buttresses 
like a fortification, called by the Russians " Kitai 
Gorod." Herein assemble the thieves, pickpockets, 
and rogues generally, who are to be seen throughout 
the day crowded together in one of the largest squares, 
holding a sort of rag fair to exchange their ill-gotten 
goods with one another. To the stranger they present 
the aspect of a reckless mob, composed of the very 
dregs of the population, and ready to engage in any 
overt act. Unmolested by the police they busy them- 
selves exchanging old boots and shoes, half-worn 
clothing, stolen trifles, and various articles of do- 
mestic use, all amid a deafening hubbub. The entire 
district is not however given up to this "racket," 
but contains some fine shops, comfortable dwellings, 
and two excellent hotels, as Russian hotels are rated. 
One passes through this section in approaching the 
Redeemer's Gate from the east side, but will wisely 



MANUFACTURES OF MOSCOW. 305 

avoid all personal contact with the doubtful denizens 
of Kag Fair. 

It was a source of surprise to the author to find 
Moscow so great a manufacturing centre, more than 
fifty thousand of the population being regularly em- 
ployed in manufacturing establishments. There are 
over a hundred cotton mills within the limits of the 
city, and between fifty and sixty woollen mills ; also 
thirty-three silk mills, and a score of kindred estab- 
lishments in the manufacturing line. It appeared, 
however, that enterprise in this direction was confined 
almost entirely to textile fabrics. The city is fast be- 
coming the centre of a grand railroad system, afford- 
ing the means of rapid and easy distribution for the 
several products of these mills, and there is reason to 
anticipate their steady increase. 



20 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Domestic Life in Moscow. — Oriental Seclusion of Women. — The 
Foundling Hospital. — A Christian Charity. — A Metropolitan 
Centre. — City Museum. — The University. — Tea-Drinking. — 
Pleasure Gardens. — Drosky Drivers. — Riding-School. — Theatres. 

— Universal Bribery. — Love of Country. — Russians as Linguists. 

— Sparrow Hill. — Petrofski Park. — Muscovite Gypsies. — Fast 
Life. — Intemperance. — A Famous Monastery. — City Highways. 

— Sacred Pigeons. — Beggars. 

The domestic life of the people of Moscow (we 
speak of the acknowledged upper class) is quite Ori- 
ental in its character. The stranger, no matter how 
well he comes accredited, when he visits a dwelling- 
house is hospitably entertained, as hospitality is in- 
terpreted here ; but it is by the master only. The 
ladies of the household are very rarely presented 
to him, and are seldom seen under any circumstances, 
even the opera being tolerated at Moscow half under 
protest, on account of its bringing ladies into a more 
intimate relation with the world at large. To the do- 
mestic caller scalding tea is served in tumblers, with 
slices of lemon floating on the top ; but no other re- 
freshments are offered. The host is courteous, he in- 
vites you to drive with him, and seems glad to show 
you the monuments and famous localities, and to give 
any desired information ; but his family, harem-like, 



FOUNDLING HOSPITAL AT MOSCOW. 307 

are kept out of sight. Even a courteous inquiry as to 
their health is received with a degree of surprise. The 
ladies of Cairo and Constantinople are scarcely more 
secluded. This, however, may be termed old Russian 
style; young Russia is improving upon Eastern cus- 
toms, and is becoming slowly more Europeanized. 
These remarks apply less to St. Petersburg than to 
Moscow. As the Asiatic comes more closely in con- 
tact with Europeans he assimilates with their manners 
and customs, and women assume a different domestic 
relationship. Thus ladies and their partially grown- 
up children, accompanied by husband and friends, are 
not infrequently seen driving in public at the capital ; 
but scarcely ever is this the case at Moscow. Indeed, 
we saw no instance of it here. Men were seen at the 
public places of amusement, parks, tea-gardens, and 
the like, accompanied by women ; but they were not 
ladies, nor were they their wives or daughters. 

One of the most interesting and important institu- 
tions of the city is its remarkable Foundling Hospital, 
which is conducted by the Government at an annual 
expense of five millions of dollars. The royal trea- 
sury appropriates a large portion of this sum each 
year to its support, besides which it is most liberally 
endowed by private bequests. The building which is 
occupied by the hospital, or rather the series of build- 
ings, forms a large quadrangular group on the north 
bank of the Moskva, half a mile east of the Krem- 
lin. The length of the frontage is fully a thousand 
feet, enclosing finely-kept, spacious gardens which 



308 DUE NORTH. 

cover several acres of ground, divided between pleas- 
ant paths, greensward, and shady groves. Here, on 
a sunny afternoon at the close of July, the author saw 
between fifteen and sixteen hundred infants paraded 
under the branches of the trees, sleeping in their tiny 
cradles or in the sturdy arms of the country-bred 
nurses, of whom there were over five hundred. These 
were all wet-nurses, each hearty, well-fed peasant 
woman being expected to nurse two infants. These 
women were all clad in snow-white cotton gowns and 
muslin caps, appearing scrupulously neat and clean, 
the muslin about head and face contrasting strongly 
with their nut-brown complexions. Some of the little 
ones who seemed to thrive best by such treatment 
are fed with the bottle, while careful and scientific 
care is afforded to each and all alike. Besides three 
or four regular attending physicians, the arrangements 
are presided over and the detail carefully carried out 
by a corps of trained matrons, the most thorough 
order, discipline, and system being observed as exist- 
ing in every department. Just within the garden gate, 
at the main entrance, a bevy of thirty or forty children, 
rosy-cheeked, bright-eyed boys and girls, not over six 
years of age, were amusing themselves in childish 
games ; but they came instantly to us with smiling, 
happy faces, extending their little hands as a token of 
welcome to the stranger. Selecting any one of these 
promising children, the thought occurred how proud 
many a rich family would be to have such an one for 
its rightful heir ; and then we wondered what might 



CARE AXD DISPOSAL OF FOUNDLINGS. 309 

be the future of these graduating from here under 
the ban of a clouded parentage. It seems that a few 
children are retained until about the age of these. 
though the number is comparatively small. Their 
contented, rigorous, healthful appearance showed how 
judicious and well-applied must be the system that 
could produce such physical results. 

•• There is no denying the fact that some of these 
boys have princely blood in their veins." said our in- 
telligent guide, pointing to a merry group who were 
playing together. •• Secrets are well kept in Russia. 
They will be carefully watched, and their well-being 
indirectly advanced. By and by they may get into 
the army, and be gradually promoted if they are de- 
serving, becoming officers by a favor which they can- 
not analyze, and perhaps finally achieving a name and 
filling a high station. We have many such instances 
in the army and civil service. — men filling important 
positions, of whose birth and early antecedents no 
questions are asked. Sometimes marked and special 
resemblances may possibly lead to shrewd surmises, 
but no one gives such thoughts the form of words." 

This institution was founded by Catherine II. in 
1762, that at St. Petersburg having been established 
a few years subsequent ; but the latter now equals 
parent establishment both in size and in the impor- 
tance of the work which it accomplishes. The aver- 
age receipt of infants in each of these hospitals is 
over a thousand per month at the present time, and 
perhaps eleven hundred would be even nearer the 



310 DUE NORTH. 4 

aggregate. The hospitals are kept open night and 
day. No infant, whatever its condition, is ever re- 
fused shelter, good care, and proper nourishment. 
The little creatures are not left in secret, as is the 
case in most similar European institutions, or by un- 
known parties, but are openly received, no disguise 
whatever attending the relinquishment. Probably one 
third of the children born in the two great capitals of 
this country are illegitimate, while many who are born 
of married parents are also brought here because of 
the inability of their natural protectors properly to 
provide for them. It is this last feature which leavens 
the whole system in the eyes of the million ; that is to 
say, because a mother is seen giving up her child here 
it does not follow that it is illegitimate. But be the 
individual circumstances what they may, the Govern- 
ment cheerfully takes charge of all the infants that 
are offered. The only question which is asked of 
those resigning their offspring is whether it has been 
baptized by a priest, and what name is desired to be 
given to it. The little one is then registered upon the 
books of the establishment, and a metallic number 
placed about its neck, never to be removed until it fi- 
nally leaves the charge of the institution. As soon as 
the children become a month or six weeks old and are 
considered to be in perfect health, they are given in 
charge of country people who have infants of their own. 
These peasants are paid a regular weekly stipend for 
the support of the little strangers, rendering an ac- 
count monthly of their charge, which must also be 



A GREAT CHRISTIAN CHARITY. 311 

exhibited in person. All are under the supervision of 
a visiting committee, or bureau of matrons, having no 
other occupation, and who must regularly weigh the 
children and enter their progress or otherwise upon 
the books of the hospital, an account being opened 
for each infant received. One would think that 
among such large numbers as are accommodated 
monthly confusion would ensue ; but so perfect is the 
system of accounts, that -any child can be promptly 
traced and its present and past antecedents made 
known upon reasonable application. A mother, by 
proving her relationship and producing the receipt 
given to her for her child, can at any time up to 
ten years of age reclaim it, first proving her ability 
properly to support and care for her offspring. If a 
child is not reclaimed by its parents at ten or twelve 
years of age, it is apprenticed to some useful occupa- 
tion or trade, and in the mean time has been regularly 
sent to school. The neatness, system, and general 
excellence observed at these Foundling Hospitals is 
worthy of emulation everywhere, and the whole plan 
seemed to us to be a great Christian charity, though 
no sensible person can be blind to the fact that there 
are two sides to so important a conclusion. There 
are many political economists who hold that such a 
system encourages illegitimacy and vice. A late 
writer upon the subject, whose means of observation 
may have been much more extended than those of the 
author of these pages, has spoken so decidedly that it 
is but proper to present his convictions in this connec- 



312 DUE NORTH. 

tion. He says : " Unfortunately this famous refuge 
[the establishment in Moscow] has corrupted all the 
villages round the city. Peasant girls who have for- 
gotten to get married send their babies to the institu- 
tion, and then offer themselves in person as wet-nurses. 
Having tattooed their offspring, each mother contrives 
to find her own, and takes charge of it by a private 
arrangement with the nurse to whom it has been 
officially assigned. As babies are much alike, the 
authorities cannot detect these interchanges, and do 
not attempt to do so. In due time the mother returns 
to her village with her own baby, whose board will be 
well paid for by the State at the rate of eight shillings 
per month ; and perhaps next year and the year after 
she will begin the same game over again." 

We were informed that a large proportion of the 
boys who survive become farm-laborers, and that 
many of the girls are trained to be hospital nurses ; 
others are apprenticed to factory work. If any of 
the latter become married at or before the age of eigh- 
teen, the State furnishes them with a modest trousseau. 
Up to the period of eighteen years, both sexes are 
considered to be " on the books of the institution," 
as it is termed, and to be amenable to its direction. 
When the young men arrive at this age, they are 
furnished with a good serviceable working-suit of 
clothes, and also a better suit for holiday wear, to- 
gether with thirty roubles in money. These gratui- 
ties serve as a premium upon good behavior and obedi- 
ence to authority. One sad feature of the system was 



ISOLATION OF MOSCOW. 313 

admitted by the officials, and that is the large percen- 
tage of the mortality which seems inevitable among 
the infants. Notwithstanding every effort to reduce 
the aggregate of deaths, still it is estimated as high 
as seventy per cent ; or in other words, not more than 
thirty out of each hundred admitted to the Foundling 
Hospitals live to the age of twenty-one years. This 
heavy loss of life is traceable in a large degree to 
hereditary disease, not to the want of suitable treat- 
ment after the children come into the charge of the 
institution. 

Moscow is isolated in a degree, having no populous 
neighborhood or suburb. The forest and the plain 
creep up to its very walls ; outlying villages and in- 
creasing population generally announce the approach 
to large cities ; but both St. Petersburg and Moscow 
are peculiar in this respect. This city, however, as 
we have before remarked, is gradually becoming the 
centre of a great net-work of railways, like Chicago ; 
and therefore the characteristic referred to must grad- 
ually disappear. It is built like Rome upon seven 
hills, and is the culminating point of Russian as that 
capital is of Italian history. While St. Petersburg 
is European, and annually growing to be more so, 
Moscow is and must continue to be Asiatic. As one 
gazes about him, the grandeur, sadness, and vicissi- 
tudes of its past, not exceeded by that of any other 
capital in the world, crowd upon the memory. In 
portions the Confusion evinced in its composition of 
squares, streets, avenues, and narrow lanes is almost 



314 DUE NORTH. 

ludicrous and quite bewildering. There are no long 
uniform lines of architecture, like those of the capital 
on the Neva. Miserable hovels, dirty court-yards, and 
vile-smelling stables break the lines everywhere after 
one leaves the principal thoroughfares, and not infre- 
quently even upon them. The barbarous as well as 
the semi-civilized aspect is ever present. Mosque, 
temple, triumphal-arch, cabins, campaniles, convents, 
and churches mingle heterogeneously together, as 
though they had dropped down indiscriminately upon 
the banks of the Moskva without selection of site. 
After the great conflagration of 1812 the object must 
have been to build, and to do so quickly. This was 
evidently done without any properly concerted plan, 
since there is not a straight street in all Moscow. 
Around the barriers of the city however there extends 
a boulevard, which occupies the site of the old line 
of fortifications, which is decked with grassy slopes, 
limes, maples, and elms, forming an attractive drive. 

The Moscow Museum is a modern establishment, 
but is rapidly growing in importance. Here one can 
study comprehensively the progress of art and science 
in Russia during the past century, the chronological 
arrangement being excellent, and copied after the 
system inaugurated for a similar purpose at Copen- 
hagen. The Museum occupies a fine building near 
the new Cathedral of Our Saviour, formerly the pa- 
latial residence of the Pashkof family. Its library 
already exceeds two "hundred thousand bound vol- 
umes, and is especially rich in rare and ancient 



RUSSIAN CONSUMPTION OF TEA. 315 

manuscripts. The excellent and scientific arrange- 
ment of this entire establishment was a source of 
agreeable surprise. The fine-arts department pre- 
sents some choice paintings and admirable statuary, 
both ancient and modern; while the zoological col- 
lection contains much of interest. The favorite seat 
of learning is the Moscow University, founded by the 
Empress Elizabeth, daughter of Peter the Great, in 
1755 ; its four principal faculties being those of His- 
tory, Physics, Jurisprudence, and Medicine. It is a 
State institution, under the immediate control of the 
Minister of Public Instruction. At this writing, the 
University has some two thousand students. The 
terms of admission, as regards cost to the pupils, are 
merely nominal, the advantages being open to all 
youth above seventeen, who can pass a satisfactory 
examination. Here also is another large and valu, 
able library open to the public, aggregating over two 
hundred thousand bound volumes. This liberal mul- 
tiplication of educational advantages in the very 
heart of Oriental Russia is an evidence of gradual 
progress, which tells its own story. 

It seemed especially odd that a people who drink 
so profusely of fermented liquors, should also drink 
so much tea. It may be doubted if even the Japanese 
exceed them in the consumption of this beverage, and 
it is certain that the latter people use more tea in 
proportion to the number of inhabitants than do the 
Chinese. At Moscow tea-drinking is carried to the 
extreme. The traJctirs, or tea-houses, can be found 



316 DUE NORTH. 

on every street, and are crowded day and evening by 
people who in summer sit and perspire over the 
steaming decoction, while they talk and chatter like 
monkeys. The stranger drops in to see native life, 
manners, and customs, while he sips scalding tea like 
the rest, and listens to the music of the large organ 
which generally forms a part of the furniture, and 
which when wound up will discourse a score or more 
of popular waltzes, airs, and mazurkas. These remark- 
able musical instruments are manufactured especially 
for this region, and frequently cost, as we were told, 
a thousand pounds sterling each. The habitue's are 
from all classes of the populace, soldiers, civilians, 
priests, and peasants, — these last, slow, slouching, 
and shabby, with no coverings to their heads, except 
such an abundant growth of coarse sun-bleached hair 
as to suggest a weather-beaten hay-stack, "redun- 
dant locks, robustious to no purpose." These peas- 
ants, mechanics, and common laborers, though they 
drink tumbler after tumbler of nearly boiling hot tea, 
are only too apt to wind up their idle occupation by 
getting disgracefully tipsy on that fiery liquor corn- 
brandy, as colorless as water, but as pungent as 
aqua-fortis. To the tea-gardens in the immediate envi- 
rons both sexes resort, and here one sees a very pleas- 
ant phase of Russian life, — tea-drinking en famille 
among the middle classes. The article itself is of a 
superior quality, much more delicate in flavor than 
that which is used in England or America ; but it is 
never made so strong as we are accustomed to take it. 



SUMMER TEA-GARDENS IN MOSCOW. 317 

Happy family groups may be seen gathered about the 
burnished urns in retired nooks, and even love-epi- 
sodes are now and then to be witnessed, occurring over 
the steaming beverage. These gardens are decorated 
in the summer evenings with the gayest of colored 
paper lanterns, — the nickering, airy lamps festooned 
among the tall trees and the low shrubbery, as they 
sway hither and thither, resembling clouds of huge 
fire-flies, floating at evening over a tropical planta- 
tion. There are also exhibitions nightly of fancy 
fire-works, minor theatricals, and comic song-singing. 
Tramways lead from the centre of the town to these 
popular resorts, or a drosky will take one thither at 
a mere trifling charge. The drosky drivers of Moscow 
appear to be one degree more stupid than those of St. 
Petersburg, impossible as that may seem. Like the 
cocher of Paris they all expect and ask for a pour- 
boire. In the capital on the Neva the driver sug- 
gests " Na tchai " (tea), as you hand him his fare, — 
that is, he desires a few pennies to procure a drink 
of tea ; but in Moscow the driver says more honestly, 
" Na vodka " (brandy). And yet there are many who 
are satisfied with the milder decoction, and will sit 
and sip it as long as any one will pay for it, — recalling 
the jinrikisha men of Yokohama, who seemed to have 
no desire for any stimulant but boiling hot tea, and 
plenty of it. The drosky drivers of Moscow dress all 
alike, and precisely like their brethren in the capital, 
in long blue padded pelisses, summer and winter, 
with a low bell-crowned hat, from beneath which 



318 DUE NORTH. 

protrudes an abundance of carrot-colored hair, of the 
consistency of dried meadow-grass. 

It will interest the traveller to visit briefly the great 
National Riding-School of Moscow, a building embra- 
cing an area of five hundred and sixty feet long by one 
hundred and fifty-eight feet wide. It is covered with 
what appears to be a flat roof, but is without support- 
ing pillars of any sort on the inside. A full regiment 
of cavalry can be exercised here with perfect conveni- 
ence. This was the largest building in the world un- 
supported by prop of any kind, until the St. Pancras 
railway station was built in London. The interior is 
ornamented with bas-reliefs of men in armor and with 
ancient trophies. By ascending a winding staircase 
one can see the net-work of massive beams which 
sustain the roof, a perfect forest of stays and rafters. 
In a climate such as prevails here at least two thirds 
of the year, it is impossible to manoeuvre troops in 
the open air with any degree of comfort, not to say 
safety ; hence this structure was raised and supplied 
with huge stoves to afford the means of exercising 
the troops even in mid-winter. 

Moscow has four theatres, two only of which are 
worthy of the traveller's notice. These are the Bot- 
shoi and the Italian Opera, where only entertainments 
of a high order of merit are permitted to be given. 
In many of the gay cafe's young girls of free manners 
and lax morals dance in national costumes, among 
whom one easily recognizes those coming from Circas- 
sia, Poland, Lithuania, and the country of the Cossacks. 



VENALITY OF RUSSIAN OFFICIALS. 319 

In their dances and grouping they present scenes 
that do not lack for picturesqueness of effect. Most 
of the melodies one hears at these places are quaint 
and of local origin, quite new to the ear ; though now 
and again a familiar strain will occur, indicating 
from whence Chopin and others have borrowed. Some 
of the performers were so strikingly handsome as to 
show that their personal charms had been the fatal 
cause which had brought them into so exposed a con- 
nection as these public resorts of evil repute. The 
Bohemian or gypsy girls were the most attractive, 
— poor creatures coming from no one knows where, 
wanderers from their birth, and with lives ever en- 
veloped in mystery. One could not but recall the 
Latin Quarter of Paris and the gay, dissipated night- 
resorts of London and Vienna. None of the European 
capitals are without these dark spots upon the escutch- 
eon of civilization. 

The author's observation in Cuba and continental 
Spain had led him to believe the dishonesty of Spanish 
officials to be quite unequalled ; but the Russians far 
exceed the Spaniards in the matter of venality. The 
last war between Russia and Turkey brought to light 
official fraud and briberies, connected especially with 
the commissary department of the army, which dis- 
graced the whole nation in the eyes of the world. Ex- 
periences of so outrageous and startling a character 
were related to us, illustrative of these facts, as to al- 
most challenge belief, had they not been sustained by 
reliable authority. So extensive and universal is the 



320 DUE NORTH. 

system of bribery in Russia, that the question of right 
in ordinary matters, even when brought before the 
courts for decision, scarcely enters into the considera- 
tion. It is first and last purely a question of roubles. 
Counterfeit justice is as plentifully disbursed as 
counterfeit money, and that does much abound. To 
prove that this system of official bribery is no new 
thing here, and that it is perfectly well known at head- 
quarters, we have only to relate a well-authenticated 
anecdote. A chief officer of police, who was one day 
dashing along the Nevsky Prospect in a handsome 
drosky drawn by a fine pair of horses, was met by the 
Emperor Nicholas. His Majesty by a sign stopped 
the officer, and inquired of him what salary he received 
from the government treasury. " Two thousand rou- 
bles, your Majesty," was the reply. Whereupon the 
Tzar asked how he contrived to own and keep such a 
smart equipage upon that sum. " By presents, your 
Majesty, that I receive from the people of my district," 
was the frank rejoinder. The Emperor laughed at so 
straightforward an answer, adding : " I believe that 
I live in your quarter, and have neglected sending you 
my present," at the same time handing him his purse. 
The existence of a system of bribery among the officials 
of the various departments was only too well known 
to the Tzar ; but such plain speaking was a novelty. 

A love, not to say pride, of country seems to be uni- 
versal among the people at large, in spite of all that 
may be said or inferred to the contrary. No matter 
how poor the land may seem to the stranger, to the 



RUSSIANS NATURAL LINGUISTS. 321 

native-born it is beautiful, or at all events it is well 
beloved ; no disparagement will be permitted for a 
moment. It was amusing to observe the local rivalry 
existing between the citizens of Moscow and St. Peters- 
burg. The latter are regarded by the former as par- 
venus, lacking the odor of sanctity that adheres to the 
citizens of " holy Moscow." The more ancient metro- 
polis has ever had a quasi official recognition as the 
capital, though it is not so politically. It will be re- 
membered that in 1724, but a few months before his 
death, even Peter the Great celebrated the coronation 
of his wife Catherine at Moscow, not at St. Peters- 
burg ; and to this day it has been the crowning place 
of all his successors. So far as the hearts of the 
people are concerned, Moscow is their capital. 

We often hear surprise expressed that Russians 
who visit other countries are generally such accom- 
plished linguists ; but this is very easily accounted for. 
when we remember that in every noble or wealthy 
family of St. Petersburg or Moscow there is a German 
nurse for the young children, an English governess 
for the young ladies, and a French tutor for them all. 
Emulating those of more pretension and wealth, the 
same custom extends to the class of successful mer- 
chants' families ; so that the average Russian grows 
up speaking two or three languages besides his native 
tongue. Life is much less cosmopolitan here than in 
St. Petersburg. Few emigrants from the far East 
stop in Moscow ; they press on to the more European 
and commercial city, where Tartars from Kazan, 

21 



322 DUE NORTH. 

Adighes from the Caucasus, Swedes and Norwegians 
from Scandinavia, Finlanders from the North, and 
Germans from the South mingle together. In polite 
society French is the language of St. Petersburg, 
while German is much in use among the mercantile 
community ; but in Moscow it is the native tongue 
which prevails, as well as Oriental manners and 
customs. 

A drive of about three miles from the city over a 
wretchedly kept road, where the ruts are positively 
terrible, brings one to Sparrow Hill, the , point from 
whence Napoleon first looked upon the devoted city. 
" There is the famous city at last, and it is high 
time," said Napoleon. He had left the battlefield of 
Borodino covered with corpses forty miles behind. 
But what cared the ravaging warrior for the eighty 
thousand lives there sacrificed ? It was this terrible 
encounter which caused him to say emphatically, 
" One more such victory would be utter ruin!" From 
this elevation the invading host pressed forward and 
entered the Muscovite capital, to find the streets de- 
serted, the public buildings stripped of all valuables, 
and the national archives removed. There were no 
officials with whom to treat ; it was like a city of the 
dead. This unnatural solitude gave birth to gloomy 
forebodings in the hearts of the invaders, — forebod- 
ings which were more than justified by the final result 
of that wholly unwarranted campaign. Soon at va- 
rious points the conflagration of the city began. If 
subdued here and there by the French it broke out 



SPA BROW HILL. 323 

elsewhere, and at last became uncontrollable. Napo- 
leon entered Moscow on the fifteenth of September 
and left it in ashes on the nineteenth of October, 
when there began a retreat which was undoubtedly 
one of the greatest tragedies of modern times. Half 
a million men in the flower of their youth had in a 
brief six months been sacrificed to the mad ambition 
of one individual. 

At Sparrow Hill are many cafes where the native 
population come to drink tea, and where foreigners 
partake of cheap, flat Moscow beer and other simple 
refreshments. From here a notable view is to be 
enjoyed, embracing the ancient capital in the dis- 
tance ; and it is this charming picture which most 
attracts strangers to the spot. The broad river forms 
the foreground, flowing through fertile meadows and 
highly cultivated fields. When we saw it vegetation 
was at its prime, a soft bright green carpeting the 
banks of the Moskva, while the plain was wooded 
with thriving groves up to the convent walls and out- 
lying buildings of the town. Just back of the tea- 
houses, crowning the hill, is an ancient birch forest 
which was planted by Peter the Great, the practical 
old man having occupied many days in consummat- 
ing this purpose, during which he worked laboriously 
among his people, setting out and arranging the 
birches. The local guides never fail to take all trav- 
ellers who visit the Muscovite city to Sparrow Hill, 
where it is quite the thing to drink a tumbler of 
steaming hot Russian tea, with the universal slice of 



324 DUE NORTH. 

lemon floating thereon. This tasteless decoction 
has not even the virtue of strength, but is merely 
hot water barely colored with an infusion of leaves. 
However, as it is quite the thing to do, one swallows 
the mixture heroically. A more pleasant drive of 
about four or five miles from the centre of the city, 
over a far better road than that which leads to 
Sparrow Hill, will take the stranger to a most de- 
lightful place of resort known as the Petrofski Park, 
ornamented with noble old elms in great variety, 
flower-beds, blooming shrubbery, fountains, and de- 
lightfully smooth roads. The lime, the elm, the syca- 
more, and the oak all flourish here, mingled with which 
were some tall specimens of the pine and birch. The 
place is the very embodiment of sylvan beauty, and 
has been devoted to its present purpose for a century 
and more, having first been laid out in 1775. Within 
these grounds is the interesting old Palace of Petrof- 
ski, a Gothic structure which, though seldom inhab- 
ited, is kept always prepared for noble guests by a 
corps of retainers belonging to the Government. It 
is frequently the resort of the Emperor when he 
comes to Moscow, and always the place from whence 
a new emperor proceeds to the Kremlin to be offi- 
cially crowned. It was to this palace that Napoleon 
fled from his quarters in the city when Moscow was 
being destroyed by the flames. The cafes cliantants 
are many, within the precincts of the Park, — gay 
resorts of dissipation, whither the people come osten- 
sibly to drink tea, but really to consume beer, wine, 



THE GYPSIES OF RUSSIA. 325 

and corn-brandy, as well as to assist at the often- 
times very coarse entertainments which are here 
presented, characterized by the most reckless sort 
of can-can dancing and bacchanalian songs. Bands 
of music perform in different parts of the extensive 
grounds, and gaudily-dressed gypsy girls sing and 
dance after their peculiar and fantastic style. One 
detects fine vocal ability now and then exhibited by 
these wayward creatures, which by patient culture 
might be developed into great excellence. The sing- 
ing of these girls is quite unlike such performances 
generally, — not particularly harmonious, but bearing 
the impress of wild feeling and passionate emotion. 
Many of the performers are of a marked and weird 
style of beauty, and such are pretty sure to wear 
jewelry of an intrinsic value far beyond the reach of 
honest industry, — which forms a glaring tell-tale 
of their immodesty. 

The gypsy race of Russia, to whom these itinerants 
belong, are of the same Asiatic origin as those met 
with in southern Europe ; no country has power to 
change their nature, no association can refine them. 
They will not try to live by honest labor ; everywhere 
they are acknowledged outcasts, and it is their nature 
to grovel like animals. The cunning instinct of theft 
is born in them ; adroitness in stealing they consider to 
be a commendable accomplishment, — parents teach 
it to their children. They are wanderers wherever 
found, begging at one country-house and stealing at 
the next ; in summer sleeping on the grass, in winter 



326 DUE NORTH. 

digging holes and burrowing in the ground. They 
are called in central Russia " Tsiganie," and they 
group together in largest numbers in and about the 
Eastern Steppe, just as those of Spain do at Grenada 
and near to the Alhambra. All kindly efforts of the 
Russian government to civilize these land-rovers has 
utterly failed ; not infrequently it becomes necessary 
to invade their quarters, and to visit condign punish- 
ment upon the tribe by sabre and bullet, to keep them 
within reasonable bounds. Quite a colony of gypsies 
inhabit a certain portion of Moscow, having adopted 
the local dress, and also conformed ostensibly to the 
conventionalities about them ; but they never in real- 
ity amalgamate with other races, — they are far more 
clannish than the Jews. Both the men and women 
ply trades which will not bear investigation or the light 
of day. The former make an open business of horse- 
trading, and the latter of public-dancing, singing, and 
fortune-telling. Belonging to this community is a 
small body of singers who practise together, and who 
are employed at all public festivals in the city, — which 
would, indeed, be considered quite incomplete without 
them. This choir consists of six or eight female 
voices and four male, capable of affording a very 
original if not quite harmonious performance. 

As regards the Petrofski Park, the truth is it is 
a famous resort for reckless pleasure-seekers, and 
largely made up of the demi-monde, where scenes 
anything but decorous are presented to the eyes of 
strangers during the afternoons and the long summer 



THE SABBATH MARKET. 327 

twilight. But those who wish to see and study " life," 
fast life, have only to visit the Chateaux des Fleurs, 
or Marina-Rostcha, which are also in the environs of 
the town. As in Vienna, Berlin, and Paris, the po- 
lice, who cannot suppress these resorts, strive to con- 
trol them so far that they shall not outrage openly the 
conventionalities of society. Human nature is much 
the same all over the world, though its coarsest fea- 
tures are more obtruded upon observation in some 
lands than in others. In extensive travel and expe- 
rience, the author has learned that it is not always 
in semi-barbarous countries that grossness and inde- 
cency will be found most to prevail. It must be ad- 
mitted that there are temples of vice in Moscow which 
for ingenuity of temptation, and lavish and gilded dis- 
play, are not equalled elsewhere in Europe. 

Under the shadow of the spacious and lofty tower 
which forms a reservoir for the distribution of water 
for the domestic use of the citizens, there is held in 
the open square each Sabbath day what is called " The 
Market," but which might better be designated a 
weekly fair, a sort of Nijni-Novgorod upon a small 
scale. Here Jew and Gentile, Asiatic and European, 
exchange their goods or sell to the citizens. There 
are confectioners, jewellers, clothiers, hard-ware mer- 
chants, dried-fruit venders, fancy-dry-good dealers, tea- 
booths, tin and earthenware tables, — in short, every 
domestic article that can be named is here offered for 
sale. The crowd is great, the Babel of voices deafen- 
ing, the hustling incessant, occasional quarrels being 



328 DUE NORTH. 

inevitable. Now one meets a group of courteous, well- 
dressed people, now an itinerant in rags, now a bevy 
of boisterous girls and boys, now a long-haired and 
bearded priest; some are sober, many are drunk. 
Alas ! Sunday is here a day of drunkenness. Speak- 
ing plainly upon this subject, there are more intoxi- 
cated persons to be seen in the streets of Moscow on 
the Sabbath than the author has ever encountered 
upon any day of the week in any other capital. At 
this Sunday-fair articles are offered at popular prices, 
presumed to be much lower than is charged by regular 
merchants who have rent to pay and large establish- 
ments to keep up. Upon this conviction the poorer 
classes especially throng hither to purchase such arti- 
cles as they require, making the scene one of great 
activity and general interest. The tall tower of the 
water-supply was not originally intended for the use 
to which it has at last been appropriated. It was first 
erected by the Tzar Peter to mark the northeastern 
gate of the town, which was held by one faithful regi- 
ment when the rest revolted. This same regiment 
escorted him and his mother for safety to the Troitzkoi 
Monastery, situated thirty miles from the city, and 
which is considered to-day as the holy of holies so far 
as monasteries are concerned in Russia. Hither the 
Empress Catherine II. made the pilgrimage on foot to 
fulfil some conditional vow, accompanied by all her 
court, only advancing, however, five miles each day, 
and not forgetting to have every possible luxury con- 
veyed in her train wherewith to refresh herself. It 



THE TR0ITZK01 MONASTERY. , 329 

will be remembered that Napoleon in his usual rash- 
ness had planned to destroy this monastery, and had 
issued orders to that effect, just as he had done in the 
instance of St. Basil already referred to ; but he was 
defeated in his purpose by the haste with which the 
demoralized army retreated from the country. 

The Troitzkoi is not merely a monastery, it is also 
a semi-fortress, a palace, and a town containing eight 
churches, a bazaar, a hospital, and many stately resi- 
dences, altogether forming a confused though pictur- 
esque group of towers, spires, belfries, and domes. 
It is dominated by a famous bell-tower two hundred 
and fifty feet high, containing one of the finest chimes 
of bells in all Russia, thirty-five in number. In the 
Church of the Trinity is the shrine of Saint Sergius, 
an elaborate piece of work of solid silver, weigh- 
ing nearly a thousand pounds ; it is so constructed 
that the relics of the saint are exposed. The whole 
of the monastery grounds are enclosed in a high wall 
twenty feet in thickness, with heavy octagon towers 
guarding the four principal corners. A deep moat 
surrounds the wall, and against the attack of a hostile 
force in former times it was thought to be remarkably 
protected, and is undoubtedly the strongest fortified 
monastery in the East. The large prison within the 
walls has been the scene of as great cruelty during the 
last two centuries as any similar establishment in Eu- 
rope or Asia. The name Troitzkoi signifies the Trin- 
ity. The treasury of this monastery is famous among 
all who are specially interested in such matters for its 



330 , DUE NORTH. 

priceless robes and jewels, to say nothing in detail of 
the aggregated value of its gold and silver plate. It 
is asserted that there are more and richer pearls col- 
lected here than are contained in all the other treas- 
uries in Europe combined. Among other precious 
gems there are several mitres which contain rubies 
worth fifty thousand roubles each, being set with 
other jewels of appropriate richness. The Troitzkoi 
was pillaged by the Tartars about 1403, and was be- 
sieged by the Poles in 1608, at which time the walls 
were seriously injured ; but all is now restored to its 
original strength and completeness. This ancient 
monastery stands at the opening of the valley of the 
Kliasma, a region fruitful with the smouldering ruins 
of by-gone cities so much older than Moscow that 
their names even are forgotten. The country between 
the stream just named and the Volga was the grand 
centre of early Tartar history. As in the environs of 
Delhi, India, where city after city has risen and crum- 
bled into dust, so here large capitals have mouldered 
away leaving no recorded story, and only enforcing 
the sad moral of mutability. 

The idea of comfortable road-beds for the passage 
of vehicles and good foot-ways does not seem to have 
entered the minds of the people of Moscow. The 
cobble-stone pavements are universal, both in the 
middle of the streets and on that portion designed 
for pedestrians. These stones, without any unifor- 
mity of size, are miserably laid in the first place, 
added to which they are thrown out of level by the 



PIGEONS REGARDED AS SACRED. 331 

severity of the annual frosts, so that it is a punishment 
to walk or to drive upon them. The natives are per- 
haps accustomed to this needless discomfort, and do 
not heed it ; but it is a severe tax upon the endurance 
of strangers who remember the smooth roadways of 
Paris, Boston, and New York. A few short reaches 
of the square granite-stone pavements were observed, 
probably laid down as an experiment ; but great was 
the relief experienced when the drosky rolled upon 
them after a struggle with the cobble-stone style of 
pavement. Many otherwise fine streets both here and 
in St. Petersburg are rendered nearly impassable by 
wretched paving. 

One is struck by the multitude of pigeons in and 
about the city. They are held in great reverence by 
the common people, and no Russian will harm them. 
Indeed, they are as sacred here as monkeys in Benares 
or doves in Venice, being considered emblems of the 
Holy Ghost, and under protection of the Church. 
They wheel about in large blue flocks through the 
air so dense as to cast shadows, like swift-moving 
clouds between the sun and the earth, alighting fear- 
lessly where they choose, to share the beggar's crumbs 
or the bounty of the affluent. It is a notable fact that 
this domestic bird was also considered sacred by the 
old Scandinavians, who believed that for a certain 
period after death the soul of the deceased under such 
form was accustomed to come to eat and drink with 
as well as to watch the behavior of the mourners. 
Beggary is sadly prevalent in the streets of the Mus- 



332 DUE NORTH. 

covite capital, — the number of maimed and wretched- 
looking human beings forcibly recalling the same 
class in Spanish and Italian cities. This condition 
of poverty was the more remarkable when contrasted 
with its absence in St. Petersburg, where a person 
seen soliciting alms upon the streets or in tattered 
garments is very rare. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Nijni-Novgorod. — Hot Weather. — The River Volga. — Hundreds of 
Steamers. — Great Annual Fair. — Peculiar Character of the Trade. 

— Motley Collection of Humanity. — An Army of Beggars. — Rare 
and Precious Stones. — The Famous Brick Tea. — A Costly Bev- 
erage. — Sanitary Measures. — Disgraceful Dance Halls. — Fatal 
Beauty. — A Sad History. — Light-Fingered Gentry. — Convicts. 

— Facts About Siberia. — Local Customs. — Russian Punishment. 

A journey of about three hundred miles (or as the 
Russians state it, four hundred and ten versts) in a 
northeasterly direction from Moscow, by way of the 
historic town of Vladimir, famous for its battles with 
the Tartars, brings us to Nijni-Novgorod, — that is, 
Lower Novgorod, being so called to distinguish it 
from the famous place of the same name located on 
the Volkhov, and known as Novgorod the Great. It 
is older than Moscow, antedating it a century or more, 
and is the capital of a province bearing the same 
name. The residence of the governor of the district, 
the courts of law, and the citadel are within the 
Kremlin, where there is also a fine monument in the 
form of an obelisk eighty feet high, erected to the 
memory of Mininn and Pojarski, the two patriots who 
liberated their country from the Poles in 1612. This 
Kremlin, like that at Moscow, is situated on an eleva- 
tion overlooking the town and the broad valley of the 



334 DUE NORTH. 

Volga. The site of the upper town, as the older por- 
tion of the place situated about the Kremlin is called, 
is quite remarkable, being a sort of overhanging bluff, 
commanding a level view as far as the eye can reach 
over an undulating country, through which winds the 
noblest river of Russia. The climate here is subject to 
great extremes of heat and cold, — the mercury freez- 
ing, it is said, in winter, and sometimes bursting 
in the heat of the summer sun. As we stood upon 
this bluff enjoying the comprehensive view, the heat 
of the mid-day hour and the power of the sun were 
quite tropical. Indeed, without the partial shelter of 
an umbrella it would have been as insufferable as 
mid-day exposure in Ceylon or Singapore. All ani- 
mal life, so far as possible, sought the shade ; and 
the fine black horses attached to the vehicle which 
had transported us from the plain below, though 
driven at a quiet pace, were flecked with foam and 
panted with distended nostrils. The thermometer 
on the shady side of the governor's palace close at 
hand indicated 89° Fahrenheit. To the great ex- 
tremes of overpowering cold and enervating heat 
some of the apparent incongruities of the native 
character may doubtless be attributed. For more 
than half the year the people are as it were hermeti- 
cally sealed up by the frost, and in the brief but in- 
tense heat of the summer they are rendered inert and 
slothful by the effect of tropical heat. 

We were told that there was here six hundred years 
ago a very large city, but that to-day the place cannot 



THE RIVERS VOLGA AND OKA. 335 

boast over forty-five thousand fixed population. Thus 
the story of faded grandeur is written all over the 
plains of northern Europe and Asia. By ascending 
what is called Mininn's Tower, one of the finest pano- 
ramic views is obtained which can well be conceived 
of. A vast alluvial plain is spread out before the eye 
covered with fertile fields and thrifty woods, through 
which from northwest to southeast flows the Yolga 
like a silver thread upon a verdant ground, extend- 
ing from horizon to horizon. On this river, which is 
the main artery of central Russia, are seen scores of 
swift-moving steamers bound to Saratoff, Astrakhan, 
and the Caspian Sea, fourteen hundred miles away, 
while a forest of shipping is gathered about the shore 
of the lower town and covering the Oka River, which 
here joins the Yolga. From this outlook the author 
counted over two hundred steamboats in sight at 
the same time, — all side-wheelers and clipper-built, 
drawn hither by the exigencies of the local trade 
contingent upon the period of the great annual fair. 
The first of these steamers was built in the United 
States and transported at great trouble and expense 
to these Russian waters, and has served as the 
model of the hundreds now employed on the river. 
The flat-boats which the steamers had towed from 
various distant points, having been unloaded, were 
anchored in a shallow bend of the river, where they 
covered an area fully a mile square. On many of 
these boats entire families lived, it being their only 
home ; and wherever freight was to be transported 



336 DUE NORTH. 

thither they went : whether it was towards the Ural 
Mountains or the Caspian Sea, it was all the same to 
them. 

The Volga has a course of over twenty-four hun- 
dred, and the Oka of eight hundred and fifty miles. 
As the Missouri and Mississippi rivers have together 
made St. Louis, so these Russian rivers have made 
Nijni. This great mart lies at the very centre of the 
water communication which joins the Caspian and 
the Black seas to the Baltic and White seas, be- 
sides which it has direct railroad connection with 
Moscow and thence with the entire east of Europe. 
The Volga and its tributaries pour into its lap the 
wealth of the Ural Mountains and that of the vast 
region of Siberia and Central Asia. It thus becomes 
very apparent why and how this ancient city of Nijni- 
Novgorod is the point of business contact between 
European industry and Asiatic wealth. 

The attraction which draws the traveller so far 
into the centre of European Russia, lies in the nov- 
elty of the great annual fair held at Nijni for a period 
of about eight weeks, and which gathers for the 
time being some two hundred thousand people, — 
traders and spectators, — who come from the most 
distant provinces and countries, as well as from the 
region round about. A smaller and briefer fair is 
held upon the ice of the rivers Volga and Oka in Janu- 
ary, but is comparatively of little account ; it is called 
a horse-fair, being chiefly devoted to trade in that 
animal. The merchandise accumulated and offered 



GRAND FAIR AT NIJNI-NOVGOROD. 337 

for sale at the grand fair in August and September is 
gathered principally from the two richest quarters of 
the globe. It is of limitless variety, and in quality 
varying from the finest to the coarsest. As an exam- 
ple of this, jewelry was observed of such texture and 
fashion as would have graced a store on the Rue de 
la Paix, offered for sale close beside the cheapest or- 
naments of tinsel manufactured by the bushel-basketful 
at Birmingham and Manchester. Choice old silver- 
ware was exposed side by side with iron saucepans, 
tin-dippers, and cheap crockery utensils, — variety 
and incongruity, gold and Brummagem everywhere 
in juxtaposition. There is an abundance of iron and 
copper from the Urals, dried fish in tall piles from the 
Caspian Sea, tea from China, cotton from India, silks 
and rugs from Persia, heavy furs and sables from 
Siberia, wool in the raw state from Cashmere, together 
with the varied products of the trans-Caucasian prov- 
inces, even including wild horses in droves. Fancy- 
goods from England as well as from Paris and Vienna, 
toys from Nuremberg, ornaments of jade and lapis- 
lazuli from Kashgar, precious stones from Ceylon, and 
gems from pearl-producing Penang. Variety, indeed ! 
Then what a conglomerate of odors permeated every- 
thing, dominated by the all-pervading musk, boiled 
cabbage, coffee, tea, and tanned leather ! Everything 
seemed to loom up through an Oriental haze, a mirage 
of fabulous merchandise. In the midst of the booths 
and lanes there rose the tall, pointed spire of a mosque, 
which we were told was the most northerly Mahome- 



338 DUE NORTH. 

tan temple extant. If any business purpose actuates 
the visitor, let him keep his wits about him, and above 
all remain cool ; for it will require an effort not to be 
confused by the ceaseless buzzing of this hive of 
human beings. Sharpers are not wanting, but are 
here in force to take advantage of every opportunity 
that offers. Many who come hither thrive solely by 
dishonesty. It is a sort of thieves' paradise, — and 
Asiatic thieves are by far the most expert operators 
known in either hemisphere. Most of them are itin- 
erants, having no booth, table, or fixed location, but 
yet carrying conspicuously about them evidences of 
some special line of trade, and evincing a desire to 
sell at remarkably low prices, — all of which is a spe- 
cious disguise under which to prosecute their dishonest 
purposes. 

The period of great differences in prices in localities 
wide apart has, generally speaking, passed away, and 
everywhere the true value of things is known. Cir- 
cumstances may favor sellers and buyers by turns, 
but intrinsic values are nearly fixed all over the 
world. Nothing is especially cheap at this great 
Russo-Asiatic fair except such articles as no one 
cares to purchase, though occasionally a dealer who 
is particularly anxious to realize cash will make a 
special sacrifice in the price demanded. The Tartar 
merchant from the central provinces of Asia knows 
the true value of his goods, though in exchange he 
pays large prices for Parisian and English luxuries. 
Gems so abundant here can only be bought at a just 



VARIOUS NATIONALITIES AT NIJNL 339 

approximation to their value in the markets of the 
world ; and unless one is willing to encounter the risk 
of being grossly deceived in quality, and to lose much 
time in bargaining, they had far better be purchased 
elsewhere. All the tricks of trade are known and 
resorted to at such a gathering. The merchant be- 
gins by demanding a price ridiculously above the 
amount for which he is willing eventually to sell, — 
a true and never wanting characteristic of Oriental 
trade. No dealer has a fixed price at Nijni. The 
Asiatic enjoys dickering; it is to him the life of his 
occupation, and adds zest if not profit to his business 
transactions, and by long practice he acquires great 
adroitness in its exercise. 

The principal attraction to the traveller, far above 
that of any articles which form the varied collection 
of goods displayed for sale, is to observe the remark- 
able distinction of races and nationalities that are 
here mingled together. Tartars, Persians, Cossacks, 
Poles, Egyptians, Finns, Georgians, with many oth- 
ers, crowd and jostle one another upon the narrow 
lanes and streets. Many of these are in neat national 
costumes. We recall as we write a group of Greeks in 
their picturesque attire, who formed a theatrical pic- 
ture by themselves ; while others were in such a mass 
of filthy rags as to cause one to step aside to avoid 
personal contact and its possible consequences. 
Though familiar with the Spanish and Italian cities 
where they much abound, the author has never before 
seen so many beggars — professional beggars — con- 



340 DUE NORTH. 

gregated together. The variety of features, of physi- 
cal development, of dress, manners, customs, and lan- 
guages was infinite. It would be impossible to convey 
an idea of the ceaseless Babel of noise which pre- 
vailed, — the cries designating certain goods, the bar- 
tering going on all about one in shrill voices, laughter 
mingled with sportive exclamations, and frequent 
trivial disputes which filled the air. But there was 
no actual quarrelling, — the Kussian police are too vig- 
ilant, too much feared, too summary for that ; open 
violence is instantly suppressed, and woe betide the 
culprit! Such is this unique fair, which presents 
one of the rude and ancient forms of trade that is 
rapidly disappearing by the introduction of railroads. 
The glory of Nijni-Novgorod is, we suspect, already 
beginning to wane ; but it would seem that the fair 
still represents all the gayest features of the olden 
time, having been held here annually since 1366, 
tradition pointing to even an earlier date. 

The site of the fair-grounds is triangular in shape, 
and lies between the two rivers Volga and Oka, form- 
ing yearly a large and populous temporary town, with 
numerous streets of booths, restaurants, small shops, 
bazaars, tents, and even minor theatres, while the 
wharves of the rivers are crowded with bales of rags, 
grain, hides, skins, casks of wine, madder, and cotton. 
The aggregate value of the goods disposed of at these 
yearly gatherings of traders is enormous, being esti- 
mated as high as eighty millions of dollars ! Centu- 
ries since, the two extremes 'of western Europe and 



THE ALEXANDRITE GEM. 341 

China used also to meet at Kazan to exchange mer- 
chandise ; but long ago this trade was transferred to 
Nijni, which is now the only notable gathering-place 
of the sort in Russia. We were told that the united 
length of the streets, lanes, and alleys of the fair 
often reached a distance of thirty miles, and this 
seemed to be rather an under than an over estimate. 
Some idea may be formed of the great distances 
which traders pa§s over to meet here, from the fact 
that there were seen Bucharians from the borders of 
China as well as merchants from the north part of 
the Celestial Empire. The former brought with them, 
in connection with other goods, precious stones for 
sale. Some choice turquoises were observed in their 
possession, such as one can purchase nowhere else in 
first hands. Speaking of gems, there were also fine 
specimens of the native product offered by those who 
dealt in jewelry, — among them some very fine Alex- 
andrites, a comparatively modern discovery from the 
Ural mines, which were named after the Emperor 
Alexander I. The Alexandrite is opaline, being dark 
green by daylight and ruby red by artificial light at 
night, though strong artificial light will bring out its 
peculiar properties at anytime. In hardness it seems 
to be of about the same texture as the emerald, and 
when a clear, flawless specimen is obtained, it is 
valued almost as highly as that rare and beautiful 
gem. The story told about the Alexandrite, and 
which we are inclined to believe is true, is that only 
one " pocket," as it is technically designated, was ever 



342 DUE NORTH. 

discovered, and that has long since been exhausted, 
all subsequent search having utterly failed to produce 
a single specimen. At first the value of this remark- 
able stone was not realized, and it remained neglected 
upon the spot where it was found, until a European 
geologist chanced to see and explain its gem-like 
qualities, after which it became much sought for and 
properly valued. Very few are to be found for sale 
in Europe, and fewer in America. The author saw 
one of these stones at St. Petersburg which was ex- 
quisitely cut and clear as a crystal, though green in 
color, for which the sum of three thousand roubles 
was demanded. As it weighed fifteen carats, this was 
at about the rate of one hundred dollars per carat. 
At Nijni or St. Petersburg one must pay nearly Paris 
and New York prices for real gems. 

Specimens of other gems from the Urals though 
not abundant were still in considerable variety, — not 
offered at the booths, but by itinerants who came to 
our hotel, and displayed them in a somewhat secret 
manner, being very particular to keep quite out of 
sight of the crowd. One of these dealers took from 
his bosom a small flat leather receptacle wherein he 
showed some fine emeralds, colored diamonds, rubies, 
and topazes. Of the latter gem there were specimens 
in green, blue, yellow, and white, most of them too 
poorly cut to show their fine beauty and brilliancy to 
advantage. The Armenian who exhibited this collec- 
tion had also garnets of several distinct colors, the 
finest of which was of a light cinnamon hue. He 



BRICK TEA. 343 

had also tourmalines black as jet, and pink rubellites 
with sapphires as fine as those from Ceylon. All 
these precious stones, he said, were from the Ural 
mines. The same region furnishes also gold, silver, 
copper, and platinum, the latter valuable product in 
larger quantities than comes from any other part of 
the world. An emerald mine was accidentally dis- 
covered in the Ural range near Ekaterinburg so late 
as 1830. A peasant who was passing through a wood 
chanced to see an emerald gleaming among the up- 
turned roots of a fallen pine ; and further research 
showed that many precious gems of the same sort 
were mingled with the surrounding soil. Such dis- 
coveries soon become known. The peasant was en- 
riched for life, but Government as usual in such cases 
claimed the mine. 

Thibet and North China merchants who come to 
Nijni occupy nearly six months in travelling to and 
from their native districts. They bring their famous 
brands of " brick tea," said to be the finest produced, 
and of which the Russians partake so liberally, paying 
more than double the price per pound that is usually 
charged for the best brands that reach the American 
market. One who has travelled in Japan is impressed 
with the idea that its people draw one half their sus- 
tenance from tea-drinking, of which they partake 
many times each day ; but neither these Russians nor 
the Asiatics take the decoction one quarter as strong 
as it is used with us. An idea prevails here that the 
tea from China which comes by the overland route is 



344 DUE NORTH. 

much superior to that which reaches Southern Europe 
and America by sea, and the price is gauged accord- 
ingly ; but even brick tea comes to Nijni half the dis- 
tance and more by water carriage, and if there is any 
deteriorating effect traceable to that cause, it cannot be 
exempt. There is a brand known as " yellow tea " in 
great favor here, — a grade which we do not see in this 
country at all. It is of a pale color when steeped and 
of delicate flavor, being used as an after-dinner bev- 
erage in Russia, as we employ coffee. It is sold at the 
fair in small fancy packages as put up in China, each 
containing one pound of the leaves. Price six dollars 
for a package ! 

Where there is so large and promiscuous an assem- 
blage of human beings, sickness of an epidemic char- 
acter would be sure to break out were it not that a 
most rigid sanitary system is established and en- 
forced. This precaution is especially important, as 
personal cleanliness is a virtue little known and less 
practised among Russians and Asiatics. In the large 
cities the Russian takes his weekly bath of steaming 
water, nearly parboiling his body ; and that must last 
him for seven days. The average citizen sleeps in his 
clothes during the interim without change, satisfied 
with bathing his face and hands in a pint or less of 
water daily. The Nijni fair-grounds have open canals 
in various parts to afford immediate access to water 
in case of fire, and also ample underground sewerage 
formed by stone-lined drains which extend all over 
the place. These drains are flushed several times 



A SAD PERSONAL HISTORY. 345 

daily during the season of the fair by water pumped 
from the Volga. r 

The dance-halls, music-rooms, and places of general 
amusement are of such a character as might naturally 
be anticipated, presenting disgraceful features of frailty 
and vice scarcely surpassed in the large European 
capitals. One spacious square of the grounds is occu- 
pied by four large three-story houses, which are noth- 
ing less than acknowledged* dens of vice. From these 
houses, which are on the four sides of the square, 
flags and streamers are all day gayly flaunting, and 
fancy lanterns are grouped at night. Bands of in- 
strumental performers pour forth from their several 
piazzas noisy refrains, while parading hither and 
thither upon the broad verandas, or looking out from 
the windows, many a prematurely aged and saddened 
face appears, — faces, alas! which assumed smiles 
and gayety of tone cannot effectually disguise. The 
unfortunate girls who are attached to these establish- 
ments are of varied nationalities. Many are Russian, 
some are Poles, others are from far-off Cashmere and 
Nepaul ; even the Latin Quarter of Paris has its repre- 
sentatives here, as well as the demi-monde of Vienna. 

One dark-eyed, handsome, even refined appearing 
girl, who kept quite by herself, was detected as being a 
quadroon. Observing that the author was American, 
she acknowledged that she came from New Orleans. 
The brief truthful history of this girl, who possessed 
all the fatal beauty of her race, may be found in- 
structive. She had been the travelling companion of 



346 DUE NORTH. 

a heartless titled Englishman, who had induced her 
to run away from her respectable Louisiana home, 
and had finally deserted her at St. Petersburg after 
a year of travel in various parts of the world and a 
considerable sojourn in India. Without a guinea in 
her purse or the means of honestly earning money, 
her fate seemed to be inevitable ; and so she had 
drifted she hardly knew how or where, until she was 
here in this maelstrom of vice, Nijni-Novgorod. One 
must have possessed a heart of stone to be able to 
look unmoved into the tearful eyes of this poor un- 
happy girl, who had bought her bitter experience at 
such terrible cost. Quietly closing her hand upon 
the gold that was offered her with some earnest, well- 
meant advice, she said : " This shall be the nucleus 
of a sum wherewith to return to my mother and my 
Louisiana home, or it shall purchase that which will 
end for me all earthly misery ! " Poor Marie Fleur ! 
We shall probably never know what fate has befallen 
her. 

Interspersed about the lanes and streets were many 
gay eating and drinking booths, cafes where gypsy 
dancers and singing girls appeared in the evening. 
With the close of the day the business of the fair is 
mostly laid aside, and each nationality amuses itself 
after its native fashion. Rude musical instruments 
are brought forth, strange and* not inharmonious airs 
fall upon the ear, supplemented here and there by 
songs the words of which are utterly unintelligible 
except to a small circle of participants. The whole 



LIGHT-FINGERED GENTRY. 347 

scene forms a motley picture, as party-colored as 
Harlequin's costume, while the whole is shadowed by 
the ever-present, vigilant Russian police. Smoking 
is not permitted in the streets or among the booths ; 
to light a match even subjects one to a fine, such 
is the great fear of fire ; but still the unmistakable 
fumes of tobacco which permeated the atmosphere 
showed that within the walls of their own apartments 
smokers were freely indulging in their wonted habit. 
The governor's business residence during the fair is 
very near its centre. The lower portion for the time 
being is transferred into a grand bazaar, for the sale 
of the lighter and more choice fancy articles, includ- 
ing European manufactured goods. There is here 
also a large restaurant where a good dinner may be 
had at a reasonable price, the bill of fare embracing 
the peculiar dishes of many different nationalities, — 
and though others did, the author did not partake of 
Tartar horse-flesh. A boulevard extends from be- 
hind the governor's house towards the cathedral and an 
Armenian church. The shops along this thoroughfare 
are principally occupied by goldsmiths and dealers in 
silver-ware. Some apparently very ancient examples 
of the latter would have delighted the eye of a curio 
hunter ; they were in the form of clasps, mugs, drink- 
ing-horns, and spoons of quaint designs, no two alike, 
affording an endless variety from which to choose. 

We were told of some curious doings of the light- 
fingered gentry who are naturally attracted to the 
fair, and who drive a very successful business during 



348 DUE NORTH. 

the few weeks of its continuance, provided they be 
not detected and locked up. These rogues are not 
confined to any one nationality, but are composed of 
immigrants from far and near. They seem equally 
adroit however, whether Asiatics or Europeans. One 
was arrested during the late season at Nijni upon 
whose person eleven purses and porte-monnaies were 
found as the product of a single day's operation. The 
rascal was a Polish Jew, " childlike and bland." He 
was apparently a pedler, dealing in tapes and shoe- 
strings. Some London thieves the year before the 
last, having heard of the great Russian fair which 
continued so many weeks, drawing together pur- 
chasers from many lands, who came with well-lined 
pocket-books, accordingly resolved to invade Nijni. 
They came, they saw, they conquered ; but it was a 
very brief triumph. The Asiatic thieves " spotted " 
the English rogues at sight, but let them operate 
until they had possessed themselves of ample booty, 
while the local rogues remained quiescent and 
watched the fun. Then the Eastern experts picked 
their pockets of every farthing they had stolen ; hav- 
ing done which they adroitly drew the attention of 
the police to them. The cockneys were compelled to 
leave the place instantly, and to beg their way to an 
English port where they sadly embarked for home, 
wiser if not richer than when they resolved to " raid " 
the great Oriental fair. 

The numbers of persons arriving during the fair is 
so great as to exhaust all reasonable means of com- 



CONVICTS EN ROUTE TO SIBERIA. 349 

fortable lodgement, and where the great mass sleep 
is generally considered to be a mystery ; yet a stroll 
about the town at day-break will solve it. Boiled up 
in their rags, thousands drop down to rest like dogs 
upon the ground wherever fatigue overtakes them. 
Other thousands sleep behind their stalls and booths 
upon the softest place they can find. Open sheds are 
utilized by hundreds, who lie there upon the floor 
packed like herring under a temporary roof. It 
may be safely stated that not one person in fifty 
who attends the fair removes his clothing from his 
body while he is there. Even the weekly bath must 
be given up here, unless it consists of a brief plunge 
into the Yolga. 

On the route to Nijni from Moscow, at a station on 
the railway line, a bevy of convicts was seen on their 
way to Siberia. They represented all ages, from the 
lad of fifteen to the decrepit and gray-haired old man 
of sixty or seventy. Condemned people are now con- 
veyed as far on their way as possible by rail, and then 
begin their long journey upon foot towards the re- 
gion which according to popular belief rarely fails 
to become their grave in a few brief years. Some of 
these men — there were no women among them — 
appeared to us as though society were fortunate to be 
rid of them, and as if they very likely deserved the 
fate which awaited them, be it never so severe. There 
were others, however, if the human countenance may 
be trusted, who seemed to merit a better fate. Some 
of them had grossly outraged the laws, and some few 



350 DUE NORTH. 

were political prisoners. But be their condemnation 
upon what ground it may, when once started upon 
this journey they left all hope behind. The prison- 
ers whom we saw did not appear to be guarded with 
much strictness. They were permitted to walk about 
freely within certain lines ; still, military espionage is 
so thorough and complete that any attempt to escape 
would surely cost the prisoner his life. None of these 
prisoners were manacled or confined by bonds of any 
sort; and though we watched them specially, no 
harshness was exhibited by either soldiers or officers 
towards them. The prisoners seemed to accept the 
position, and the soldiers to be only performing rou- 
tine duty. Feeling more than ordinary interest in the 
subject, we were led to seek for information touching 
this penal servitude. 

We were told by unprejudiced persons that many of 
the current stories about Siberia were pure fiction, 
and that not a few of the attributed terrors relating to 
that district were without truth. To sober, honest, 
industrious enterprise it was not only a very habitable 
but even desirable locality, undoubtedly with some 
drawbacks ; but there is no limit to its mineral wealth 
and other possibilities. In spite of its climate, the 
soil under proper culture is represented to be prodi- 
giously fertile. Our principal informant had been 
there several times, and had mercantile interests in 
the country : he was not of Russian but German birth. 
It seems that many persons go to Siberia voluntarily 
every year, some following closely in the track of each 



SLEEPING-CAR ACCOMMODATIONS. 351 

lot of prisoners despatched thither. If what we heard 
and have reason to believe is really true, Siberia will 
eventually prove to Russia what Australia and Van 
Diemen's Land have to England. 

The Russian travels with all his toilet and sleeping 
necessaries with him. Towels, soap, pillow, and blan- 
ket form a part of his regular outfit when he travels 
by rail or otherwise at night. Though one pays for 
sleeping-car accommodations, only reclining seats are 
furnished, and not even a pitcher of water or a towel 
can be found inside of the cars. This seemed to be 
the more surprising because of the excellence of the 
road-bed, the remarkable perfection of the rolling 
stock, and the manifest desire upon all hands, so far 
as the officials were concerned, to render the passen- 
gers as comfortable as possible. Anything like re- 
freshing slumber was out of the question in a half 
upright position, and after a night passed in coquet- 
ting with sleep, at six or seven o'clock in the morning 
the cars stopped at a way-station for twenty-five min- 
ntes, both in coming from Moscow to Nijhi and in 
returning, the journey both ways being made by the 
night-express. On the platform of this station a line 
of peasant women stand behind a series of basins 
placed temporarily upon a long bench. One of these 
women pours a small stream of water from a pitcher 
upon the traveller's hands, and he is thus enabled to 
make a partial toilet, wiping his face upon a very sus- 
picious-looking towel, also furnished by the woman 
who supplies the water. For this service she expects 



352 DUE NORTH. 

ten kopecks, the smallest current silver coin. How- 
ever, water upon the face and temples even in limited 
quantity, after a long dusty night-ride in the cars, is 
grateful and refreshing, incomplete though the ablu- 
tion may seem, and one felt duly thankful. It was 
quite as ample accommodation in that line as the 
average Russian citizen required. 

Before closing this chapter, and apropos of the sub- 
ject of Siberia, let us say a few words more. It should 
be remembered as regards the severity of punishment 
for crime in Russia, and particularly as to banishment 
to Siberia, that the sentence of death is now rarely in- 
flicted in this country. Persons who are condemned 
to expiate their crimes by deportation to this penal 
resort, would in other European countries be publicly 
executed. Nearly all other nations punish undoubted 
treason with death. Russia inflicts only banishment, 
where the convicted party has at least air and light, 
his punishment being also mitigated by obedience and 
good behavior. This is paradise compared to Aus- 
trian, Spanish, German, and Italian prisons, where the 
wretched dungeon existence is only a living death. 
It is a fact that of late years, and especially since the 
accession of Alexander III. to the throne, so mild has 
the punishment of banishment to Siberia come to be 
considered that it has lost its terror to the average 
culprit. We were assured that not one third of the 
convicts sent thither for a limited term elect to return 
to their former homes, but end by becoming free set- 
tlers in the country, and responsible citizens. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

On the Road to Poland. — Extensive Grain-Fields. — Polish Peasantry. 

— A Russian General. — No Evidence of Oppression. — Warsaw 
and its Surroundings. — Mingled Squalor and Elegance. — Monu- 
ments of the City. — Polish Nobility. — Circassian Troops. — Polish 
Language. — The Jews of Warsaw. — Political Condition of Poland. 

— Public Parks. — The Famous Saxony Gardens. — Present Com- 
mercial Prosperity. — Local Sentiment. — Concerning Polish Ladies 
and Jewish Beauties. 



From Moscow to Warsaw one travels a long and 
rather dreary seven hundred miles, the first half of 
which is characterized by such sameness, verst after 
verst, as to render the journey extremely monotonous. 
The country through which we passed is heavily 
wooded, and affords some attractive sport to foreign 
hunters who resort hither for wolf-shooting. In the 
summer season these repulsive creatures are seldom 
dangerous to man, except when they go mad (which 
in fact they are rather liable to do), in which condi- 
tion they rush through field and forest heedless of 
hunters, dogs, or aught else, biting every creature they 
meet ; and such animals, man or beast, surely die of 
hydrophobia. The wolves are at all seasons more or 
less destructive to small domestic stock, and some- 
times in the severity of a hard winter they will gather 
in large numbers and attack human beings under the 

23 



354 DUE NORTH. 

craze of ravenous hunger. But as a rule they are 
timid, and keep out of the way of man. There are 
also some desirable game-birds in these forests which 
are sought for by sportsmen, but the wolves are all 
that the foreign hunter seeks. The wild bison still 
exist here, though it is forbidden to shoot them, as 
they are considered to belong to the Crown, but the 
gradual diminution of their numbers from natural 
causes threatens their extinction. If they were not 
fed by man during the long winters they would starve. 
The Emperor sometimes presents a specimen to for- 
eign zoological gardens. 

As we advanced, the country put on a different as- 
pect. The beautiful lavender color of the flax-fields in- 
terspersed with the peach-bloom of broad, level acres 
of buckwheat produced a cheerful aspect. These 
fields were alternated by miles of intensely green 
oats, rye, and other cereals ; indeed, we have seen no 
finer display of grain-fields except in western America. 
The hay-makers in picturesque groups were busy 
along the line of the railroad, nine tenths of them 
being women. The borders of Poland exhibited a 
scene of great fertility and successful agricultural 
enterprise. As we crossed the frontier a difference 
in the dress of the common people was at once obvi- 
ous. Men no longer wore red shirts outside of their 
pantaloons, and the scarlet disappeared from the dress 
of the women, giving place to more subdued hues. 
The stolid square faces of the Russian peasantry were 
replaced by a more intelligent cast of features, while 



A RUSSIAN GENERAL. 355 

many representatives of the Jewish race began to ap- 
pear, especially about the railroad stations, where they 
were sure to be offering something for sale. At the 
frontier town of Brest the extensive fortifications at- 
tracted notice, where considerable bodies of infantry 
and artillery were also observed. These elaborate 
fortifications are said to embrace a line of twenty 
miles, and are kept fully up to a war standard. As 
to the defensive condition of Russian forts, Alexan- 
der III. considers prevention better than cure, and is 
at all times prepared for an emergency. The dwell- 
ing-houses which began to come into view were of 
a much superior class to those left behind us in 
Russia proper. Log-cabins entirely disappeared and 
thatched roofs were rarely seen, w T hile good substantial 
frame-houses appropriately painted became numerous. 
Neat little flower-plats w r ere seen fenced in adjoining 
the dwellings, containing pretty shrubbery, flowers, 
and fruit-trees. Lines of bee-hives found place near 
the dwellings, and everything was suggestive of thrift 
and industry. 

On the same train in which we had travelled from 
Moscow was Prince Gurkon, commander-in-chief of 
all the armies of Russia. He was a man past the 
middle age, with a countenance of pleasing expression, 
not wanting in firmness, but still quite genial. The 
Prince was almost covered on the left breast with the 
insignia of various orders. He was in full military 
uniform, attended by a staff of a dozen officers, and 
being on an official tour of inspection was received 



356 DUE NORTH. 

with a salvo of guns at Brest. He was inclined to 
conversation, and was not a little curious about Amer- 
ica, concerning whose political and military status he 
had many questions to ask. Like all of his country- 
men he expressed hearty sympathy with our Republic, 
and spoke intelligently of American history and pro- 
gress. He had special respect for General Grant as 
a soldier, and remarked that fortunately Russia had 
disposed of the terrible incubus of serfdom at a less 
bitter and bloody cost than America incurred in the 
suppression of negro slavery. 

After crossing the borders of Poland, the thought- 
ful stranger cannot divest himself of an earnest even 
though silent sympathy with the people who are so 
thoroughly disfranchised in a political sense ; and yet 
truth compels us to say, that few if any outward signs 
of oppression met the eye. We must confess that a 
decided effort to discover something of the sort proved 
quite a failure. The masses of the people are cheer- 
ful and talkative in the extreme, exhibiting a strong 
contrast in this respect to those of Russia, who have a 
chronic expression of dreariness and inanity, and who, 
as a rule, are essentially silent and sad. With their 
national existence annihilated, so to speak, we had 
been led to anticipate discontent and grumbling among 
the Poles, neither of which we encountered. War- 
saw is seemingly as thoughtless over these matters 
and as gay as any capital in Europe. As regards the 
nationality of Poland, her fate is certainly decided for 
many years to come, if indeed it be not settled for all 



ENTERING WARSAW. 357 

time. And without prejudice or any false sentiment, 
one is forced to think perhaps this is best for Poland. 
Dismembered as she is, every new generation must 
amalgamate her more and more completely with the 
three powers who have appropriated her territory and 
divided the control of her people among them. We 
continue to speak of Poland as a distinct country, 
though the name is all that remains of its ancient in- 
dependence. The map of Europe has long since been 
reconstructed in this region, — Austria, Germany, 
and Russia coolly absorbing the six millions of Poles, 
and Warsaw being the capital of Russian Poland. 

It was at the close of the second day's journey 
since leaving Moscow that we approached Warsaw 
in a course nearly due west, witnessing one of those 
fiery sunsets which are only seen in their intensity 
towards the close of summer in the north. The gor- 
geous light escorted us into the capital across the 
long and lofty iron bridge which stretches from the 
Praga suburb over the broad, sandy bed of the Vis- 
tula. This remarkable bridge is one thousand nine 
hundred feet in length, and was designed by the same 
architect that superintended the construction of the 
Nicholas Bridge at St. Petersburg. The curtain of 
night fell in sombre folds as we drove through the 
streets of the old city amid a blaze of artificial light, 
the town being gayly illumined on account of its being 
the birthday of Alexander III. It was observed that 
this illumination was in some respects peculiar, long 
rows of gas-jets, extending by means of temporary 



358 DUE NORTH. 

pipes along the gutters by the sidewalks, supplement- 
ing the blaze in the windows of stores and dwelling- 
houses, so that one seemed to be passing between 
two narrow streams of liquid fire. It is a long drive 
from the railroad station to the Hotel Victoria, but 
when it is once reached, the traveller finds himself 
located in the centre of Warsaw and in very comfor- 
table quarters. 

The city extends about six miles along the left bank 
of the Vistula and upon high land. The river — which 
is navigable, though at the time of our visit it was 
very low — extends the whole length of Poland from 
north to south, its source being in the Carpathians 
and its mouth at Dantzic. The city, which covers a 
great surface in proportion to the number of its 
inhabitants, is enclosed by ramparts pierced by ten 
gates, and is defended by a castle of modern con- 
struction. The fortification is well kept up to a war- 
standard, especially in the department of modern 
artillery. The garrison was drilling at the time of 
our visit in the management of some new and heavy 
guns. Warsaw has nearly half a million of inhabi- 
tants, one third of whom are Jews, who monopolize 
the main branches of trade, and who appear in an 
exaggerated aspect of their repulsive peculiarities. 
There is but one synagogue worthy of mention be- 
longing to this people, who certainly would require 
more were they composed of a race adhering strictly 
to their religious professions. The temple referred 
to is an extremely plain, unpretentious one, which is 



A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF WARSAW. 359 

capable of accommodating twelve or fifteen hundred 
persons, and is generally visited by strangers in the 
city. The prevailing religion in Poland is Roman 
Catholic, and doubtless much of the bitterness of 
feeling which exists between this people and the 
Russians is caused by religious differences, fomented 
by the Catholic priests. 

On arriving in a new city, an experienced traveller 
will instinctively seek some suitable point from which 
to obtain a clear and comprehensive view of the entire 
locality, which will thus become mapped upon the 
brain, so that all after movements are prosecuted 
with a degree of intelligence otherwise impossible. 
Here the St. Petersburg railway station in the Praga 
district affords the desired view. From hence a vast 
panorama spreads out before the eye in every direc- 
tion. On the banks of the Vistula opposite may be 
seen the citadel, the older portions of the town, with 
its narrow streets and lofty houses, the castle and its 
beautiful gardens, as well as the newer sections of 
the city, including the public promenades and groves 
about the royal villa of Lazienki. Viewed from 
Praga as it slopes upward, the effect of the city 
is very pleasing, and a closer examination of its 
churches, former palaces, and fine public buildings 
confirms the favorable impression of its architectural 
grandeur. This view should be supplemented by one 
of a bird's-eye character to be obtained from the cu- 
pola of the Lutheran Church, which will more clearly 
reveal the several large squares and main arteries, 



360 DUE NORTH. 

bordered by graceful lime-trees, thus completing a 
knowledge of its topography. 

In spite of its misfortunes, Warsaw ranks to-day as 
the third city in importance as well as in population 
in the Russian empire. It was not made the capital 
of Poland until 1566, when it succeeded to Cracow. 
It is now but the residence of a viceroy representing 
the Emperor of Russia. The town is heavily garri- 
soned by the soldiers of the Tzar ; indeed, they are 
seen in goodly numbers in every town and village of 
any importance, and are represented .even at the 
small railroad stations on the line from Moscow. 
War and devastation have deprived the city of many 
of its national and patriotic monuments, but its 
squares are still ornamented with numerous admirable 
statues, and with a grand array of fine public build- 
ings. In the square of the Royal Castle there was 
observed a colossal bronze statue of Sigismund III. ; 
in another quarter a bronze statue of Copernicus 
was found. It will be remembered that he was a 
Pole by birth and was educated at Cracow, his name 
being Latinized from Kopernik. There is a thir- 
teenth-century cathedral close by, whose pure Gothic 
contrasts strongly with the Tartar style so lately left 
behind in middle Russia. This old church was very 
gray and crumbling, very dirty, and very offensive to 
the sense of smell, — partly accounted for by obvious 
causes, since about. the doors, both inside and out, 
swarmed a vile-smelling horde of ragged men, 
women, and children, sad and pitiful to look upon. 



WARSAW ARCHITECTURE AND PEOPLE. 361 

The square close at hand has more than once been 
the scene of popular demonstrations which have bap- 
tized it in the life-blood of the citizens. The finest 
public buildings and elegant residences were found 
strangely mingled with wooden hovels ; magnifi- 
cence and squalor are located side by side, inexora- 
bly jumbled together. We remember no other city 
in all Europe which has so many private palaces and 
patrician mansions as may be seen in an hour's stroll 
about Warsaw ; but it must be admitted that the 
architecture is. often gaudy and meretricious. Here 
for centuries there were but two grades of society ; 
namely, the nobles and the peasants. Intermediate 
class there was none. A Polish noble was by law a 
person who possessed a freehold estate, and who 
could prove his descent from ancestors formerly pos- 
sessing a freehold, who followed no trade or com- 
merce, and who was at liberty to choose his own 
habitation. This description, therefore, included all 
persons who were above the rank of burghers or 
peasants. The despised Jews were never considered 
in the social scale at all, and were looked upon by 
both nobles and peasants as a necessary evil contin- 
gent upon trade. They were not even subject to 
military service until the Russians assumed power. 
Now the Jews enter in large numbers into the service 
of the Tzar, especially as musicians forming the mili- 
tary bands. Being intelligent and to a certain degree 
educated, they are also employed in places where 
recruits only fit for service in the lower ranks would 



362 DUE NORTH. 

not be trusted, and we were told that they make ex- 
cellent common soldiers. 

Where the great iron bridge which spans the Vis- 
tula joins the shore on the right bank, one comes 
upon the barracks of the Circassian troops who form 
a portion of the local garrison. Here we chanced 
to witness some of their peculiar cavalry drill, where, 
among other manoeuvres, the exercise of dashing to- 
wards an object placed upon the ground and catch- 
ing it up on the point of the sword or lance while 
the rider is at full speed, was practised. These sol- 
diers are most efficient as cavalry, being what is 
termed born horsemen. Russians, Circassians, and 
other Eastern troops garrison Warsaw, while Polish 
soldiers are sent elsewhere for good and sufficient 
political reasons. The support of the entire scheme 
of power in Russia, as in Germany and Austria, turns 
upon military organization and efficiency; hence this 
element crops out everywhere, and its ramifications 
permeate all classes in Warsaw, as at St. Petersburg 
or Berlin. 

In passing through Poland the country presents to 
the eye of the traveller almost one unbroken plain, 
admirably adapted to agriculture, so much so that it 
has long been called the granary of Europe. The 
Polish peasants are extremely ignorant, if possible 
even more so than the same class in Russia proper ; 
but they are a fine-looking race, strongly built, tall, 
active, and well-formed. There are schools in the 
various districts, but the Polish language is forbidden 



THE JEWS IN POLAND. 363 

to be taught in them ; only the Russian tongue is 
permitted. The peasantry have pride enough to 
resist this in the only way which is open to them ; 
namely, by keeping their children from attending the 
schools. Therefore, education not being compulsory, 
as it is in Norway and Sweden, little benefit is derived 
from the common- school system as here sustained. 
With a view utterly to abolish the Polish language, 
it is even made a penal offence to use it in commer- 
cial transactions. 

The Polish peasantry as a whole are by no means 
a prepossessing race. Naturally dull, they are still 
more demoralized and degraded by an unconquerable 
love of intoxicants, the dram being unfortunately both 
cheap and potent. In every village and settlement, 
no matter how small, there are always Jews who are 
ready and eager to administer to this base appetite, 
and to rob the poor ignorant people of both health 
and money. It is unpleasant to speak harshly of the 
Jewish race, especially as we know personally some 
highly cultured, responsible, and eminently respecta- 
ble men who form a decided exception to the general 
rule ; but the despised and wandering children of 
Israel, wherever we have met them, certainly appear 
to exercise an evil influence upon the people among 
whom they dwell. We record the fact with some 
hesitation, but with a strong sense of conviction. Po- 
land appears to be after Palestine a sort of Land 
of Promise to the Jews ; but they are certainly here, 
if nowhere else, a terrible scourge upon the native 



364 DUE NORTH. 

race. Their special part of the town — the Jews' 
Quarter — is a mass of filth, so disgusting, so ill- 
smelling, that one would think it must surely breed 
all sorts of contagious diseases ; but here they live on 
in unwholesome dens, amid undrained, narrow streets 
and lanes, often in almost roofless tenements. Bayard 
Taylor wrote of the Polish Jews : " A more vile and 
filthy race, except the Chinese, cannot disgust the 
traveller." Here, as in other parts of the world, the 
Hebrew people have a history full of vicissitudes, and 
are composed of various tribes, Galician, Moldavian, 
Hungarian, and native Polish ; but in their general 
characteristics they are identical, being universally 
wedded to filth and greed. While they are strangely 
interesting as a study they are never attractive, 
with their cringing, servile manners and dirty gab- 
ardines, their cadaverous faces, piercing black eyes, 
their hooked noses and ringleted locks. Wherever 
met they are keen-witted, avaricious, patient, frugal, 
long-suffering. The race is now banished from what 
is known as Great Russia, and so far as Government 
is concerned is barely tolerated in Russian Poland ; 
but to drive them hence would be to decimate the 
country in population. 

The present political condition of Poland is the 
more impressive, as we remember that she was a great 
civil power when Russia was little better than semi- 
barbarous. Now neither books nor papers are per- 
mitted to be published in the native tongue, and all 
volumes printed in the Polish language are confis- 



STREETS, PARKS, AND GARDENS. 365 

cated wherever found, even in private libraries. The 
public library of Warsaw, which contained some hun- 
dred and sixty thousand bound volumes, was conveyed 
to St. Petersburg long ago, and Polish literature may 
virtually be said to be suppressed. While becoming 
conversant with these facts, it was natural as an 
American that we should speak plainly of the out- 
rageous character of such arbitrary rule. The intel- 
ligent and courteous Russian with whom we were 
conversing could not see why it was any worse for 
his Government to claim possession and direction of 
Poland than it was for England to do the same in 
the instance of Ireland. This was a style of argu- 
ing' which it was not very easy to meet. " It became 
a political necessity for us to take our portion of 
Poland and to govern it," said the gentleman to 
whom we refer, " but she is far more of a burden than 
an advantage to Russia. Only the common people 
of this country — the masses — have been really bene- 
fited by the present state of affairs." 

The "Avenues" is the popular drive and prome- 
nade of the citizens of Warsaw, bordered by long 
lines of trees and surrounded on all sides by elegant 
private residences. Here also are located inviting 
public gardens where popular entertainments are 
presented, and where cafe's dispense ices, favorite 
drinks, and refreshments of all sorts. The well- 
arranged Botanical Gardens are not far away, afford- 
ing a very pleasing resort for all lovers of floral 
beauty. Just beyond these gardens comes the Lazienki 



366 DUE NORTH. 

Park, containing the suburban palace built by King 
Stanislaus Poniatowski in the middle of the last 
century, and which is now the temporary residence 
of the Emperor of Russia when he visits Warsaw. 
The grounds occupied by the Park are very spacious, 
affording great seclusion and deep shady drives ; for 
though it so closely adjoins the city, it has the effect 
of a wild forest composed of ancient trees. The royal 
villa stands in the midst of a stately grove, surrounded 
by graceful fountains, tiny lakes, and delightful flower 
gardens. There is a fine array in summer of tropical 
plants in tubs and many groups of marble statuary, 
more remarkable for extravagance of design than for 
artistic excellence, if we except the statue of Ring 
John Sobieski. Adjoining the Park is that of the Bel- 
videre Palace, formerly the residence of the Grand 
Duke Constantine ; but the place is now quite deserted, 
though everything is kept in exquisite order. 

Most of the city houses are built of brick or stone, 
the former being stuccoed so as to give the general 
effect of the latter. The churches are numerous 
and fine. It may be said, indeed, that the public 
buildings throughout the city are on a grand scale. 
The two principal streets are Honey Street and that 
of the New World, so called. There are a plenty of 
hotels, but mostly of a very inferior character, several 
being kept in what were once palaces, generally by 
Germans or some other foreigners, never by Poles. 
The people whom one meets upon the streets seem 
to be more Asiatic in their features and general 



THE SAXONY GARDENS IN WARSAW. 367 

aspect than the residents of St. Petersburg, show- 
ing clearly their Tartar descent; but in manners, 
customs, and dress they are much more European 
than the Russians. 

There are several large open squares in Warsaw 
where provision markets are held daily by the country 
people, but especially in the early morning and fore- 
noon. The principal one is located near the Saxony 
Gardens, the trade of which is entirely conducted by 
women ; and so varied is the business here that it par- 
takes of the character of a public fair rather than 
that of a provision market. Vegetables, flowers, fruit, 
fish, poultry, tools, clothing, toys, domestic utensils, 
boots, shoes, and articles of female attire, all enter 
into the objects collected and offered for sale. The 
women are mostly of Jewish extraction, a large 
number of the middle-aged wearing wigs, under 
which their natural hair was cut short. On inquiry 
it was found that this is an old Jewish custom with 
women of that race in Poland, — that is, as soon as 
they are married to shave their heads and wear false 
hair, a practice which we have never observed else- 
where, and which is not followed here by the more 
pretentious families of the Hebrew population. The 
market square adjoining the Saxony Gardens affords 
a highly picturesque sight, where the mingling of 
colors, races, and costumes is curious to study. In 
the gardens we have one of the most attractive and 
oldest city parks in Europe, where the trees are very 
large and of great variety, while the flowers which 



368 DUE NORTH. 

adorn the grounds on all sides, mingled with artificial 
ponds and fountains, delight the eye and regale the 
senses. We have all heard of the Saxony Gardens of 
Warsaw, but we have never heard them overpraised. 
A military band performs here night and morning 
during the summer season, while mineral waters — a 
specialty here — are freely drunk by the promenaders, 
recalling familiar scenes at Saratoga. 

The city to the practical eye of an American seemed 
to be commercially in a state of more rapid growth 
and prosperity than any capital which has been 
treated of in these pages. In matters of current 
business and industrial affairs it appeared far in 
advance of St. Petersburg. The large number of 
distilleries and breweries was unpleasantly sugges- 
tive of the intemperate habits of the people. The 
political division of Poland which we have incident- 
ally spoken of was undoubtedly a great outrage on 
the part of the three powers who confiscated her ter- 
ritory, but the author is satisfied, while writing here 
upon the spot, and after careful consideration, that 
this radical change was a good thing for the people 
at large. With what has seemed to be the bitter for- 
tune of Poland we have all of us in America been 
taught from childhood to sympathize to such an 
extent that romance and sentiment have in a degree 
prevailed over fact, blinding cooler judgment. There 
are those who see in the fate of Poland that retri- 
butive justice which Heaven accords to nations as 
well as to individuals. In past ages she has been a 



FORMER CONDITION OF POLAND. 369 

country always savagely aggressive upon her neigh- 
bors, and it was not until she was sadly torn and 
weakened by internal dissensions that Catherine II. 
first invaded her territory. Nine tenths of the popu- 
lation were no better than slaves. They were in 
much the same condition as the serfs of Russia 
before the late emancipation took place. They were 
acknowledged retainers, owing their service to and 
holding their farms at the option of the upper class ; 
namely, the so-called nobility of the country. This 
overmastering class prided itself upon neither pro- 
moting nor being engaged in any kind of business ; 
indeed, this uselessness was one of the conditions 
attached to its patent of nobility. These autocratic 
rulers knew no other interest or occupation than that 
of the sword. War and devastation constituted their 
profession, while the common people for ages reaped 
the fruit of famine and slaughter. Even in what were 
called days of peace, the court and the nobles spent 
their time in vile intrigues and bloody quarrels. 
However hard these reflections may seem, they are 
fully sustained by the history of the country, and are 
frankly admitted to be true by intelligent natives of 
Warsaw to-day. 

There is no denying the fact, leaving the question of 
right and justice quite out of the discussion, that the 
breaking up of Poland politically has brought about 
a degree of peace, wealth, prosperity, and comparative 
liberty such as the masses of the people of this so 
long distracted land have not known for centuries, 

24 



370 DUE NORTH. 

That there Is shameful despotism exercised by the 
ruling powers all must admit ; but there is also peace, 
individual liberty, and great commercial prosperity. In 
the days which are popularly denominated those of 
Polish independence, the nobility were always divided 
into bitter factions. Revolutions were as frequent as 
they are in Spain, Mexico, or South America to-day, 
the strongest party for the time being disposing of 
the crown and ruling the country amid tumult and 
bloodshed. 

" The class who so long misruled Poland are now 
powerless," said a native resident of Warsaw to us. 
" The sacrifice of our political nationality has been 
indeed a bitter experience ; but it has at least given 
the country a breathing spell, and the rank and file 
of the people a chance to recuperate their fallen for- 
tunes. We had become impoverished by internal 
dissensions and endless conflicts abroad ; now we 
enjoy peace and material prosperity. If the matter 
depended upon a popular vote as exercised in Amer- 
ica," he added, " there would be found only a design- 
ing few who would vote for a restoration of the old 
regime." The gentleman whom we have quoted be- 
longed to the mercantile class, and was native born ; 
therefore we think his words may be taken as 
reflecting the average sentiment of the citizens of 
Warsaw. 

Let us not forget in these closing pages to speak of 
the Polish ladies. They are almost universally hand- 
some, with large expressive eyes, dark and deep as 



BEAUTY OF THE POLISH LADIES. 371 

the Norwegian fjords, lighting up faces full of tender- 
ness and sympathy. They are generally more accom- 
plished in what is considered womanly culture among 
the hetter classes than are the ladies of Southern 
Europe, being almost universally good musicians and 
fine vocalists, as well as possessing a natural gift of 
languages. In secret these daughters of Poland are 
extremely patriotic, though the public expression of 
such sentiments is hardly admissible under the cir- 
cumstances. It is not surprising that they should 
regret the loss of a condition of society which made 
them all princesses, so to speak. The representa- 
tives of this class are little seen in public, very many 
having removed to Paris, where they constitute a 
large and permanent colony. When encountered 
here, they are vehemently earnest as to patriot- 
ism, and ready to encourage any extravagant mea- 
sure looking towards a possible restitution of Polish 
nationality. 

A fellow traveller between Warsaw and Vienna, in 
responding to a casual remark touching the extra- 
ordinary beauty of the Polish ladies, — " ladies whose 
bright eyes rain influence," — told the author of a gal 
lant friend's experience with the gentler sex of sev- 
eral nationalities. It seems that the person referred 
to lost his heart in Germany, his soul in France, his 
understanding in Italy, and was made bankrupt of his 
senses in Poland. When his affections were thus re- 
duced to a complete wreck, the gentleman settled 
down to matrimonial felicity in Russia ! Some of the 



372 DUE NORTH. 

Jewish women of Warsaw, of the wealthier class, are 
extremely handsome, so marked in this respect that 
it was a pleasure to look at them. Many of the race 
are blondes of the most decided stamp. Unlike Pari- 
sian, London, or Vienna beauties, their charms are all 
quite natural. They require no rouge to heighten the 
color of their glowing complexions, no shading of the 
eyes, no dyeing of the hair, no falsifying of the figure, 
no padding. These Jewesses are beholden to Nature 
alone for their charms of person. 

The Polish language as spoken by the people of 
Warsaw is indeed a puzzle to a stranger, being a sort 
of Slavic-Indo-European tongue. When Poland en- 
joyed a distinctive nationality, no less than six differ- 
ent dialects were spoken in the several provinces of 
the kingdom. There is so much similarity, however, 
between the Polish language proper and the Russian 
tongue that the people of the two nationalities easily 
understand each other, and on the borders there is a 
singular conglomerate of the two tongues spoken by 
the peasantry. Until towards the close of the eigh- 
teenth century, the Polish historians wrote almost 
exclusively in the Latin language, and her poets 
also expressed themselves in that classic medium ; 
hence the paucity of Polish literature. As already 
intimated, the German and Russian languages are 
spreading over the country, and will eventually ob- 
literate the native tongue without the enforcement 
of arbitrary measures on the part of the dominant 
powers. 



FUTURE OF WARSAW. 373 

Commercially, Warsaw seems destined to a steady 
growth and prosperity ; but in the higher paths of 
civilization as evinced by mental culture, the growth 
and dissemination of scientific knowledge, and the 
general education of the masses, it is and must 
remain for a long time to come far behind the 
much more inviting and interesting capitals of 
Scandinavia. 



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HAMMONDS (Mrs. E. M.) The Georgians. 1 vol. 16mo. 

$1.00. In paper covers, 50 cents. 

HARRIS'S (Joel Chandler) Mingo, and other Sketches 

in Black and White. 16mo. $1.25. 

Nights with Uncle Remus. Illustrated. $1.50. 

HARTING'S (James Edmund, F.L.S., F.Z.S.) British 

Animals Extinct -within Historic Times. With some Account of British 
Wild White Cattle. Illustrated. 8vo. Gilt top. $ 4.50. 

HARTT'S (Professor C. F.) Geology and Physical Geog- 

raphy of Brazil. In preparation. 

HASSARD'S (J. R. G.) A Pickwickian Pilgrimage. $1.00. 

HA TTONS (Joseph) Henry Irving's Impressions of Amer- 
ica. 1 vol. 12mo. $1.50. 

HAWTHORNE'S (Julian) Nathaniel Hawthorne and 

his Wife. A Biography. With New Portraits on Steel, and Etched 
Vignettes. 2 vols. ]2mo. $5.00. Half-morocco or half-calf, $9.00. 
Edition de luxe. $12.00. 



A List of Boohs Published by 



HA WTHORNE'S (Julian) Confessions and Criticisms. 

A Volume of Essays and Reminiscences. 12mo. With Portrait. $1.25. 

Love — or a Name. 12mo. $1.50. 

: Beatrix Randolph. 12mo. $1.50. 

: Fortune's Fool. 12mo. |1.50. 

: (Nathaniel) Dr. Grimshawe's Secret. 

12mo. $1.50. Library edition. Gilt top. $2.00. 

HAYES'S (Henry) The Story of Margaret Kent. $1.50. 

— : Sons and Daughters. 12mo. $1.50. 

HAYWARD'S (Almira L.) The Illustrated Birthday 

Book of American Poets. Revised and enlarged edition, with index for 
names, and portraits of thirteen great American poets. 1 vol. 18mo. $1.00. 
Half-calf, $2.25. Flexible morocco, seal, or calf, $3.00. 

HA ZEN'S (Gen. W. B.) A Narrative of Military Service. 

8vo. With Maps, Plans, and Illustrations. $3.00. 

HEARN'S (Lafcadio) Stray Leaves from Strange Litera- 
ture. Stories reconstructed from the Anvari-Soheili, Baital-Pachisi, Rla- 
habharata, Gulistan,etc. 1vol." 16mo. $1.50. 

HENDERSON'S (Isaac) The Prelate. A Novel. 1 vol. 

12mo. With covers designed by Elihu Vedder. $1.50. 

HINSDALE'S (Burke A.) President Garfield and Educa- 
tion. Portraits of Gen. Garfield, Mrs. Garfield, etc. 12mo. $1.50. Half- 
calf, $3.00. Morocco antique, $4.00. 

Schools and Studies. 16mo. $1.50. 

HOME-BOOK OF ART (The). Heliotype Plates after 

One Hundred Classical and Popular Pictures by the most famous Artists of 
the World. With descriptions. Twenty-five parts at one dollar each. Or 
all bound in 1 vol. Cloth, $28.00. Half-morocco, $31.00. Full morocco, 
$33.00. By subscription only. 

HOSMER'S (G. W.) The People and Politics. 8vo. $3.00. 
HOWARD'S (Blanche W.) Aulnay Tower. 12mo. $1.50. 
— Aunt Serena. A Novel. 16mo. Thirteenth 

edition. $1.25. 

■ Guenn. 12mo. Fifth edition. $1.50. 



HOWE'S (E. W.) The Mystery of the Locks. 12mo. $1.50. 
The Story of a Country Town. 12mo. Fourth 

edition. $1.50. 

A Moonlight Boy. 1 vol. 12mo. With Portrait 



of the author. $1.50. 

HOWELLS'S(W. D.) The Minister's Charge. 12mo.$1.50. 

Tuscan Cities. With many fine Illustrations 

by Joseph Pennell. Richly bound, full gilt edges, in box, $5.00. In 
tree-calf, or antique morocco, $10.00. 

Indian Summer. 12mo. $1.50. 



Ticknor and Company. 



HOWELL&S (W. D.) The Rise of Silas Lapham. 12mo. 

$1.50. 

A Fearful Responsibility. 12mo. $1.50. 

— A Modern Instance. 12mo. $1.50. 

A Woman's Reason. 12mo. $1.50. 

Dr. Breen's Practice. 12mo. $1.50. 

The Elevator. 32mo. 50 cents. 

The Sleeping-Car. 32mo. 50 cents. 

The Parlor Car. 32mo. 50 cents. 

The Register. 32mo. 50 cents. 

Three Villages. Little- Classic size. $1.25. 

Poems. New revised edition. 1 vol. 12mo. 

In box. Printed on fine hand-made paper. Parchment covers. $2.00. 

A Counterfeit Presentment. A Comedy. 



Little-Classic size. $1.25. 

Out of the Question. A Comedy. Little 

Classic size. $1.25. 

A Little Girl among the Old Masters. Being 



her own Compositions and Inventions in Sacred and Legendary Art. With 
Introduction and Commentary by W. D. Howells. Oblong. Fifty-four 
Illustrations. $2.00. 

- — Choice Autobiographies. A collection of the 

most entertaining autobiographies, carefully edited, and with preliminary 
Critical and Biographical Essays. Little-Classic size. 8 vols. Each, $1.25. 
I., II. Memoirs of Frederica Sophia Wilhelmina, Margravine 
of Baireuth. 

III. Lord Herbert of Cherbury, and Thomas Ellwood. 

IV. Vittorio Alfieri. 
V. Carlo Goldoni. 

VI. Edward Gibbon. 
VII., VIII. Francois Marmontel. 

HOYT'S (William E.) Household Sanitation. 16mo. 

30 cents. Paper covers, 15 cenjs. 

HUBBARD'S (Lucius L.) Woods and Lakes of Maine. 

A Trip from Moosehead Lake to New Brunswick in a Birch Bark Canoe. 
With Indian place-names and their meanings. 1vol. 8vo. With Illustra- 
tions, and a large map. $3.00. Half-calf, $5.50. Tree-calf, or antique 
morocco, $8.00. 

HUDSON (Edmund). See Clemmer. 
HUNNEWELUS (James F.) The Imperial Island: Eng- 

land's Chronicle in Stone. 1 vol. 8vo. Copiously illustrated. $4.00. 

The Historical Monuments of France. 

lvol. 8vo. Illustrated. $3.50. 

■ Bibliography of Charlestown, Mass., and 

Bunker Hill. 1 vol. 8vo. Illustrated. $2.00. 



10 A List of Books Published by 



HUTCHINSON'S (Ellen M.) Songs and Lyrics. 16mo. 

With Frontispiece. $1.25. 

HUTTON'S (Laurence) Literary Landmarks of London. 

1 vol. 12mo. $1.50. 

IRVING (Henry). See Hatton. 

JAMES (Henry, Sr.), The Literary Remains of. Ed- 
ited by William James. 1 vol. 12mo. With Portrait. $2.00. 

JAMES'S (Henry) The Author of Beltraffio ; Pandora ; 

Georgiua's Reasons ; The Path of Duty ; Four Meetings. 12mo. $ 1.50. 

The Siege of London ; The Pension Beaurepas ; 

and The Point of View. 12mo. $1.50. 

Tales of Three Cities (The Impressions of a 



Cousin ; Lady Barberina ; A New-England Winter). 12mo. $1.50. 

A Little Tour in France. 12mo. $1.50. 

Portraits of Places. 12mo. $1.50. 

Daisy Miller : A Comedy. 12mo. $1.50. 



JOHNSON'S (Rossiter) Idler and Poet. 16mo. $1.25. 
JOHNSTON'S (Elizabeth Bryant) Original Portraits 

of Washington. Sixty Portraits, from paintings, sculptures, etc. With 
descriptive text. 1 vol. 4to. $15.00. Half-morocco, $20.00. By sub- 
scription only. 

KEA TS. See Brown (F. C). 

KEENE'S (Charles) Our People. Four Hundred Pict- 
ures from Punch. 4to. $5.00. 

KENDRICK'S (Professor A. C.) Our Poetical Favorites. 

Three volumes in one. Illustrated. 8vo. Full gilt. $3.50. 

KING'S (Clarence) Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada. 

12mo. With Maps. Eighth edition. $2.00. 

(Edward) The Golden Spike. 12mo. $1.50. 

The Gentle Savage. 12mo. $2.00. 

KIRK'S (Mrs. Ellen Olney) A Midsummer Madness. 

A Novel. 1vol. 16mo. $1.25. 

A Lesson in Love. 1 vol. 16mo. $1.00. In 



paper covers, 50 cents. 

LEOPARDPS (G.) Essays and Dialogues. 8vo. $3.00. 
LIEBER, The Life and Letters of Francis. Edited by 

Thomas Sergeant Perry. 8vo. With Portrait. $3.00. Half-calf, $5.50. 
LIGHT ON THE HIDDEN WAY. With Introduction 
by James Freeman Clarke. 1 vol. 16mo. $1.00. 

LINCOLN'S (Mrs. Jeanie Gould) Her Washington 

Season. A Novel. 12mo. $1.50. 



Ticlcnor and Company, 11 



LONGFELLOW'S (Samuel) Life of Henry Wadsworth 

Longfellow. With extracts from his Journals and Correspondence. 
Crown 8vo. 2 vols. With Steel Portraits, Engravings on wood, fac-similes, 
etc. $6.00 ; half-calf, with marbled edges, $11.00 ; half-morocco, with gilt 
top and rough edges, $11.00. 

LOWELL'S (Percival) Choson: The Land of the Morn- 
ing Calm. A Sketch of Korea. 1 vol. 8vo. Illustrated. $5.00. 

MACHIAVELLI (Niccolo), The Historical, Political, 

and Diplomatic Works of. Translated by Christian E. Detmold. 4 vols. 
8vo, with Steel Frontispieces, in a box. $15.00. Half-calf, $30.00. 

MADAME LUCAS. Vol. VIII. of the Round-Robin Se- 

ries of novels. 16mo. $1.00. In paper covers, 50 cents. 

MADDENS (P. W.) The Coins of the Jews. 4to. $12.00. 

MA TTHE WS. See Sheridan. 

MEREDITH'S (Owen) Lucile, Illustrated. Holiday Edi- 

tion. With 160 new Illustrations. Elegantly bound, with full gilt edges, 
in box, $6.00. Tree-calf, padded calf, or antique morocco, $10.00. Calf 
or morocco, inlaid mosaic, $12.50. Crushed levant, silk linings, $25.00. 

Lucile. Tremont Edition. 1 vol. 16mo. 

Beautifully illustrated. With red lines and gilt edges, $2.50. Half-calf, 
$4.00. Antique morocco, tree-calf, flexible calf, or seal, $5.00. 

Lucile. Pocket Edition. 1 vol. Little- 



Classic size. Thirty Illustrations. Elegantly bound, $1.00. Half-calf, $2.25. 
Antique morocco, flexible calf, or seal, $3.00. Tree-calf or padded calf, $3.50. 

MONOGRAPHS OF AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE, 

No. 1. Harvard Law School. H. H. Richardson, architect. 18 Plates 
(Gelatine, from nature), 13 X 16. In portfolio. $5.00. 

No. 2. The State Capitol, at Hartford, Conn. Richard M. 
Upjohn, architect. 22 Plates (Gelatine, from nature), 13 X 16. $6.00. 

No. 3. The Ames Memorial Buildings at Worth Easton, 
Mass. H. H. Richardson, architect. 22 Gelatine Plates (from nature), 
13 x 16 inches. Also two Lithographs. In portfolio. $6.00. 

No. 4. The Memorial Hall at Harvard University. 
Ware & Van Brunt, architects. 13 Gelatine Plates (from nature), 13x16 
inches. Also one Photo-lithograph. In portfolio. $5.00.' 

MONTI'S (Luigi) Leone. A Novel. 1 vol. 16mo. $1.00. 

In paper covers, 50 cents. 

MORRILL'S (Hon. Justin S.) Self-Consciousness of 

Noted Persons. 8vo. $1.50. 
MORSE'S (Edward S., Ph.D.) Japanese Homes and their 

Surroundings. 8vo. With 300 Illustrations. $5.00 ; half-calf, $9.00. 

NEKRASOV'S (N. A.) Red-Nosed Frost. Translated in 

the original meters from the Russian. With the Russian Text. 1 vol. 
16mo. With Portrait. $1.50. 

NELSONS (Henry L.) John Rantoul. 12mo.' $1.50. 

NORTON'S (Gen. C. B.) American Inventions in Breech- 
loading Small Arms, Heavy Ordnance, etc. 4to. 250 Engravings. $10.00 - 



12 A List of Books Published by 

OLDEN-TIME SERIES. See Brooks. 

OSGOOD'S GUIDE-BOOKS. See Ticknor. 

OWEN'S (William Miller) In Camp and Battle with the 

Washington Artillery of New Orleans. Illustrated with Maps and Engrav- 
ings. 1 vol. 8vo. $3.00. 

PALFREY'S (John Gorham) A Compendious History 

of New England. 4 vols. 12mo. With new Index. In a box. $6.00. 
Half-calf, $12.00. 

PEIRCE'S (Mrs. Melusina Fay) Co-operative House- 
keeping. Square 16mo. 60 cents. . 

PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN (The) of General McClel- 

lan in 1862. (Vol. I., Papers of the Military Historical Society of Massa- 
chusetts.) 8vo. With Maps. $3.00. 

PEPPERMINT PERKINS, The Familiar Letters of. 

Illustrated. 16mo. $1.00. In paper covers, 50 cents. 

PERRY'S (Nora) For a Woman. 16mo. $1.00. 

A Book of Love Stories. 16mo. $1.00. 

The Tragedy of the Unexpected. 16mo. $1.25. 

New Songs and Ballads. 12mo. $1.50. 

After the Ball, Her Lover's Friend, and other 

Poems. Two volumes in one. $1.75. 

(Thomas Sergeant) The Evolution of the 



Snob. 16mo. $1.00. 

From Opitz to Lessing. 1 vol. 16mo. $1.25. 



PICTURESQUE SKETCHES. Statues, Monuments, 

Fountains, Cathedrals, Towers, etc. 1 vol. Oblong folio. $1 50. 

PLYMPTON'S (Miss A. G.) The Glad Year Round. 

Square 8vo. $2.50. 

POETS AND ETCHERS. Twenty full-page etchings, by 

James D. Smillie, Samuel Colman, A. F. Bellows, H. Farrer, R. Swain Gif- 
ford, illustrating poems by Longfellow, Whittier, Bryant, Aldrich, etc. 
4to. $10.00. Also a limited edition on China paper. 

POOLE'S (W. F., LL.D.) An Index to Periodical Litera- 
ture. 1 vol. Royal 8vo. $15.00. Sheep, $17.00. Half-morocco, $18.00. 
Half-morocco, extra. Gilt top. Uncut edges, $19.00. 

PORTER'S (Robert P.) .Protection and Free Trade To- 

Day: At Home and Abroad. 16mo. Paper covers, 10 cents. 

PREBLE'S (Admiral George H.) History of the Flag 

of the United States of America, etc. Third Revised Edition. 240 Illus- 
trations, many of them in colors. 1 vol. Royal quarto. $7.50. 

PRESTON'S (MissH. W.) The Georgics of Vergil. 18mo. $1. 



Tichnor and Company. 13 



PRESTON'S (Miss H. W.) The Georgics of Vergil. 

Holiday Edition. Four full-page Illustrations. 1 vol. Small 4to. full 
gilt. $2.00. 

PUTNAM'S (J. Pickering) The Open Fire-Place in all 

Ages. With 300 Illustrations, 53 full-page. 12mo. $4.00. 

Lectures on the Principles of House Drainage. 

With Plates and Diagrams. 16mo. 75 cents. 

QUINCY'S (Edmund) The Haunted Adjutant ; and other 

Stories. Edited by his son, Edmund Quinct. 1 vol. 12mo. $1.50. 

Wensley ; and other Stories. Edited by his 

son, Edmund Quinct. 1 vol. 12mo. $1.50. 

REVEREND IDOL (A). A Novel. 12mo. Twelfth 

edition. $1.50. 

RICHARDSON'S (Abby Sage) Abelard and Heloise. 

1 vol. Little-Classic size. $1.00. 

Old Love-Letters ; or, Letters of Senti- 
ment. Written by persons eminent in English Literature and History. 
1 vol. Little-Classic size. $1.25. 

ROBINSON'S (Edith) Forced Acquaintances. A Novel. 

12mo. $1.50. 

ROCKHILVS (W. Woodville) The Life of the Buddha, 

and the Early History of his Order. 1 vol. 12mo. Gilt top. $3.00. 

ROCHE'S (James Jeffrey) Songs and Satires. $1.00. 
ROLFE'S (W. J.) Students' Series of Standard Poetry, 

Edited, with Notes and Introductions, by W. J. Rolfe. Each in 1 vol. 
12mo. Beautifully Illustrated. 75 cents. 
Byron's Childe Harold. Tennyson's The Princess. 

Scott's Marmion. Young People's Tennyson. 

Scott's The Lady of the Lake. Select Poems of Tennyson. 

The Lay of the Last Minstrel. 
ROUND-ROBIN SERIES (The). A series of original 

novels by the best writers. Each is complete in 1 vol. 16mo. $1.00. 
Also, new popular edition, in paper covers, each, 50 cents. 

A Nameless Nobleman. A Tallahassee Girl. 

A Lesson in Love. Dorothea. 

The Georgians. The Desmond Hundred. 

Patty's Perversities. Leone. 

Homoselle. Doctor Ben. 

Damen's Ghost. Rachel's Share of the Road. 

Rosemary and Rue. Fanchette. 

Madame Lucas. His Second Campaign. 

SADI'S GULISTAN. See Eastwick. 

SANBORN'S (Kate) A Year of Sunshine. Comprising 

cheerful selections for every day in the year. 1 vol. 16mo. $1.00. 

Grandma's Garden. Leaflets, with illumi- 
nated covers. $1.25. 

Purple and Gold. Choice Poems. Leaflets. 

with illuminated covers by Rosina Emmet. $1.25. 



14 A List of Books Published by 



SANBORN'S (Kate) Round-Table Series of Literature 

Lessons. Printed separately on sheets. Twenty-five authors. Price for each 
author, enclosed in envelope, 25 cents. 

(F. B.). See Emerson, also Goethe. 

SANG STEPS S (Margaret E.) Poems of the Household. 

lvol. 16mo. $1.50. 

SCHIEFNERS (Professor) Tibetan Tales. Translated 

by W. R. S. Ralston, M.A. $5.00. 

SCHOPENHA (JEWS (Arthur) The World as Will and 

Idea. Translated from the German by R. B. Haldane, M.A., and John 
Kemp, M.A. 3 vols. 8vo. $500 a vol. 

SCOTT S (Sir Walter) The Lay of the Last Minstrel. 

Holiday Edition of 1886-87. 1 vol. 8vo. In neat box. With over 100 
new Illustrations by famous artists. Full gilt edges. Elegant binding. 
• $6.00. Flexible or tree calf, or antique morocco, $10.00. Crushed levant, 
with silk linings, $25.00. 

The Lay of the Last Minstrel. Students' 

Edition. Edited, with Notes and Introduction, by W. J. Rolfe. 12mo. 
Illustrated. 75 cents. 

Marmion. Holiday Edition. Over 100 new 

Illustrations by famous artists. Elegantly bound. Full gilt edges. In 
box, $6.00. Tree-calf, padded calf, or antique morocco, $10.00. Crushed 
levant, with silk linings, $25.00. 

Marmion. Tremont Edition. 1 vol. 16mo. 



Beautifully illustrated. With red lines, bevelled boards, and gilt edges, 
$2.50. Half-calf, $4.00. Antique morocco, flexible calf, flexible seal, or 
tree-calf, $5.00. 

Marmion. Pocket Edition. 1 vol. Little-Classic 



size. With thirty Illustrations. Elegantly bound, $1.00. Half-calf, 
$2.25. Antique morocco, or flexible calf or seal, $3.00. Tree- calf or padded 
calf, $3.50. 

Marmion. Students' Edition. Edited, with 



Notes and Introduction, by W. J. Rolfe. 12mo. Illustrated. 75 cents. 

The Lady of the Lake. Holiday Edition. 1 vol. 

8vo. Inbox. 120 Illustrations. $6.00. Tree-calf, padded calf, or antique 
morocco, $10.00. Calf or morocco, inlaid mosaic, $12.50. Crushed levant, 
with silk linings, $25.00. 

The Lady of the Lake. Tremont Edition. 16mo. 

Beautifully illustrated. Red lines. $2.50. Half-calf, $4.00. Tree-calf, 
antique morocco, flexible calf, or seal, $5.00. 

The Lady of the Lake. Pocket Edition. 1 vol. 

Little-Classic size. 30 Illustrations. $1.00. Half-calf, $2.25. Antique 
morocco, flexible calf, or seal, $3.00. Tree-calf or padded calf, $3.50. 

The Lady of the Lake. Students' Edition. 

Edited, with Notes and Introduction, by W. J. Rolfe. 1 vol. 12mo. 
Beautifully illustrated. 75 cents. 

SENSIER'S (Alfred) Jean-Francois Millet: Peasant and 

Painter. Translated by Helena de Kay. With Illustrations. $3.00. 



Ticknor and Company. 15 



SHALER'S (Professor N. S.) and DA VIS'S (William M.) 

Illustrations of the Earth's Surface. Part I. Glaciers. Copiously illus- 
trated. Large folio. $ 10.00. 

SHEDD'S (Mrs. Julia A.) Famous Painters and Paint- 
ings. Revised edition. With 13 Heliotypes. 1vol. 12mo. $3.00. Half- 
calf, $5.00. Tree-calf, $7.00. 

Famous Sculptors and Sculpture. With thirteen 



Heliotype Engravings. 12mo. $3.00. Half-calf, $5.00. Tree-calf, $7.00 

Raphael : His Madonnas and Holy Families. 



Illustrated with 22 full-page Heliotypes. 1vol. 4to. Full gilt. $750. 

SHERIDAN'S (Richard Brinsley) Comedies : The 

Rivals, and the School for Scandal. Edited, with Biography and Notes and 
Introduction, by Brander Matthews. Illustrated. 1 vol. 8vo. $3.00. 

SHERRATT'S (R. J.) The Elements of Hand-Railing. 

38 Plates. Small folio. $2.00. 

SIKES'S (Wirt) British Goblins. Welsh Folk-Lore, Fairy 

Mythology, and Traditions. Illustrated. 8vo. Gilt top. $4.00. 

SNIDER'S (Denton J.) Agamemnon's Daughter. A 

Poem. 1 vol. Square 16mo. Fine laid paper. $1.50. 

- A Walk in Hellas. 1 vol. 8vo. $2.50. 
An Epigrammatic Voyage. A Poem. 1 vol 



Square 16mo. $1.00. 

Goethe's Faust: A Commentary. 2 vols. 

12mo. $3.50. 

SPOONER'S (Samuel) and CLEMENTS (Mrs. Clara E.) 

A Biographical History of the Fine Arts. In preparation. 

STANWOODS (Edward) A History of Presidential Elec- 
tions. 1 vol. 12mo. $1.50. 

STERNBERG'S (George M., M.D.) Photo-Micrographs, 

and How to Make them. Illustrated by 47 Photographs of Microscopic 
Objects, reproduced by the Heliotype process. 1 vol. 8vo. $3.00. 

STEVENSON'S (Alexander F.) The Battle of Stone 

River, near Murfreesboro', Tenn., December 30, 1862, to January 3, 1863. 
1 vol. 8vo. With Maps. $3.00. 

STILLMAN'S (Dr. J. D. B.) The Horse in Motion, as 

Shown in a Series of Views by Instantaneous Photography, and Anatomical 
Illustrations in Chromo, after Drawings by William Hahn. With a Preface 
by Leland Stanford. 1 vol. Royal quarto. Fully illustrated. $10.00. 

STIRLING'S (A.) At Daybreak. A Novel. 16mo. $1.25. 
STOCKTON'S (Louise) Dorothea. 1 vol. 16mo. $1.00. 

In paper covers, 50 cents. 

STODDARD'S (John L.) Red-Letter Days Abroad. 8vo. 

With 130 fine Illustrations. Richly bound, full gilt edges, in box. $5.00. 
In tree-calf or antique morocco. $10.00. In mosaic inlaid, calf, $12.50. 

STONE'S (Charles J., F.R.S.L.,F.R.Hist.C.) Christianity 

before Christ ; or, Prototypes of our Faith and Culture. Crown 8vo $3.00. 



16 A List of Books Published by 



SWEETSER'S (M. F.) Artist- Biographies. With twelve 

Heliotypes in each volume. 5 vols. 16mo. Cloth. Each, $ 1.50. 

Vol. I. Raphael, Leonardo, Angelo. 

Vol. II. Titian, Guido, Claude. 

Vol. III. Reynolds, Turner, Landseer. 

Vol. IV. Diirer, Rembrandt, Van Dyck. 

Vol. V. Angelico, Murillo, Allston. 
The set, in box, 5 vols. $7.50. Half-calf, $15.00. Tree-calf, $25.00. 
Flexible calf, elegant leather case, $28.00. 

TENNYSON'S (Lord) A Dream of Fair Women. Forty 

Illustrations. 4to. $5.00. In morocco antique or tree-calf, $9.00. 

The Princess. Holiday Edition. 120 Il- 
lustrations. Rich binding. In a box. 8vo. $6.00. Morocco antique, 
padded calf, or tree-calf, $10.00. Crushed levant, with silk linings, $25.00. 

The Princess. Tremont Edition. 1 vol. 



16mo. Beautifully illustrated. With red lines, bevelled boards, and gilt 
edges, $2.50. Half-calf, $4.00. Antique morocco, flexible calf, flexible seal, 
or tree-calf, $5.00. 

The Princess. Pocket Edition. 1 vol. 



Little-Classic size. With 30 Illustrations. Elegantly bound, $1.00. Half- 
calf, $2.25. Antique morocco, or flexible calf or seal, $3.00. Tree-calf or 
padded calf, $3.50. 

The Princess. Students' Edition. Edited, 



•with Notes and Introduction, by W. J. Rolfe. 12mo. Illustrated. 75 cents. 

Select Poems of . Students' Edition. Edited, 



with Notes and Introduction, by W. J. Rolfe. Beautifully illustrated. 
1 vol. 12mo. 75 cents. 

Young People's. Edited, with Notes and 



Introduction, by W. J. Rolfe. Beautifully Illustrated. 1 vol. 12mo. 
75 cents. 

THA CKERA Y (William M.), The Ballads of. Complete 

illustrated edition. Small quarto. Handsomely bound. $1.50. 

THOMAS A KEMPIS'S The Imitation of Christ. 16mo- 

Red edges. 300 cuts. $1.50. Flexible calf or morocco, $4.00. 

Pocket edition. Round corners. $1.00. Flexible calf, $3.00. 

Edition de luxe. 8vo. Many full-page etchings, red ruling, etc. Full 
leather binding, $9.00. In parchment covers, $5.00. 

THOMPSONS (Maurice) Songs of Fair Weather. $1.50. 
A Tallahassee Girl. A Novel. 1 vol. 16mo. 

$1.00. In paper covers, 50 cents. 

His Second Campaign. A Novel. 1 vol. 

16mo. $1.00. In paper covers, 50 cents. 

TICKNOR'S AMERICAN GUIDE-BOOKS : Newly re- 

vised and Augmented Editions. 

New England. With nineteen Maps and Plans. Ninth edition. 16mo. 

$1.50. 
The Maritime Provinces. With ten Maps and Plans. Fifth 

edition. 16mo. $1.50. 
The "White Mountains. With six Maps and six Panoramas. 

Seventh edition. 16mo. $1.50. 
The Middle States. With twenty-two Maps and Plans. 16mo. Seventh 

Edition in preparation. 



Tichnor and Company. 17 



TIERNAN'S (Mrs. Mary F.) Horaoselle. A Novel. 1vol. 

16mo. $1.00. In paper covers, 50 cents. 

TOWLE'S (George Makepeace) England and Russia in 

Central Asia. No. 1, Timely-Topics Series. 1 vol. 16mo. With Maps. 
50 cents. 

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.18 A List of Books Published by Ticknor Sf Co. 



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TICKNOR AND COMPANY'S 
ILTIEW IB O O IKI S 

PUBLISHED DURING THE AUTUMN 
AND WINTER OF 

1886-1887. 



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* \ 

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THE LIFE AND WORKS OF GIORDANO BRUNO. A new 
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FAMILIAR SHORT SAYINGS OF GREAT MEN. By S. Arthur 
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Imlispensable to students, writers, and libraries. It gives a collection of 
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The Catacombs, as Cemeteries and as Martyrs' Retreats ; The Buddhist 
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20 A List of Books Published by 



SONS AND DAUGHTERS. By the author of " The Story of Margaret 
Kent." 12mo. $1.50. 

An eminent Boston critic writes : " This should be the novel of the 
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widest reading." 

The remarkable popularity and great sales which made "Margaret 
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seem likely to be repeated in this new novel by the same author. It spar- 
kles with the real life and deep feeling, and has the same admirable social 
setting, that have made "Margaret Kent" a name to conjure by wherever 
the best of literature is known. 

HAPPY DODD. By Rose Terry Cooke, author of "The Deacon's 
Week," etc. 12mo. $1.50. 

"Happy Dodd" is a beautiful and tender novel of New-England life 
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SCOTT'S THE LAY OF THE LAST MINSTREL. Edited, 
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THE EVOLUTION OF THE SNOB. By Thomas Sergeant 
Perky. lOmo. $1.00. 

A keen and brilliant social study, by one of the most spirited writers of 
Boston. 

GOETHE'S FAUST: A Commentary. By Denton J. Slider. 
2 vols. 12mo. $3.50. 

A learned and valuable treatise on the greatest of German poems, giving 
its history, critical standards, and outline, and careful analyses and expla- 
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of view. 

SCOTT'S THE LAY OF THE LAST MINSTREL. An entirely 
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nearly one hundred new illustrations by leading American artists. 
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few copies in crushed Levant, with silk linings, $25.00. 

" The Lay of the Last Minstrel " is larger than its predecessors, the Holi, 
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illustrations, which are masterpieces of modern engraving. 

The immediate and permanent success of " The Lady of the Lake," 
" Marmion," etc., has encouraged the publishers to bring out this not less 
popular and famous poem. It is produced in the same style, and with the 
same careful and elaborate style of illustration, regardless of cost, while Mr. 
Anthony's skilful supervision is sufficient guarantee that the work is elegant 
and tasteful as well as correct. 

THE PETERKIN PAPERS. By Lucretia P. Hale. New Holiday 
edition, revised and enlarged, uniform with " Davy and the Goblin." 
Square 4to. Illustrated with a great number of new pictures. $1.50. 
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American families ; and the publication of a worthy and comely edition of 
eo delightful a classic will be hailed with joy by many old friends and new. 



Ticknor and Company. 21 



MURAL PAINTING. By Frederic Crowninshield. 1vol. Square 
8vo. With numerous diagrams and full-page illustrations. $3.00. 

This series of papers has excited great interest and attention in " The 
American Architect : " and in its present enlarged and amended form, with 
many new illustrations, is still more valuable. 

THE VIRGINIA CAMPAIGN OF GENERAL POPE IN 1862. 
Being Volume II. of Papers read before the Military Historical Soci- 
ety of Massachusetts. With Maps and Plans. 1 vol. 8vo. $3.00. 

A careful and dispassionate account of the great retreat from the Rapidan 
to the Potomac, with the stories of its terrible battles, prepared by prom- 
inent military officers, and dealing with the Second Bull-Run campaign, the 
Fitz-John Porter affair, and other interesting matters. 

SONGS AND SATIRES. A volume of poems. By James Jeffrey 
Roche. 1 vol. 12mo. $1.00. 

The range and versatility of these poems add to their other attractions, and 
make the volume a very popular one. Mr. Roche's vers de societe, printed 
in " Life, 1 ' and other publications, are of singular delicacy and originality, 
and the best of them are incorporated in this volume, together with many 
heretofore unpublished poems. 

GENIUS IN SUNSHINE AND IN SHADOW. By M. M. BALLOU, 
author of " Edge-tools of Speech." 1 vol. 12mo. $1.50. 

Mr. Ballou has for many years been known as one of the most industrious, 
accurate, and entertaining of American scholars. The present volume (his 
latest work) is a peculiarly interesting one, full of anecdotes and memora- 
bilia, which set forth the intimate inner lives of the world's heroes and 
notables. They have been gathered from the most recondite sources, and 
skilfully massed in attractive array, forming a great collection, that is at 
once valuable and interesting. 



A WONDERFUL WORK OF ART. 

Mrs. Browning's I.ove Sonnets. 

SONNETS FROM THE PORTUGUESE. By ELIZABETH BAR- 
RETT Browning. Illustrated by Ludvig Sandoe Ipsen. 1 vol. 
Oblong folio (pages 13 x 10 inches), beautifully bound, gilt top. $15.00 ; 
full tree-calf, $30.00. 

This magnificent work has been a labor of love for years with the artist, 
who is the prince of decorators, and has lavished upon it all the resources of 
his imagination and skill. The result is a magnificent monument to the 
poems that are enshrined therein, and a series of designs, the equals of 
which as a mere treasury of decoration and invention, apart from their sig- 
nificance in illustrating the immortal verse of Mrs. Browning, have never 
been issued in America. Each sonnet is prefaced by a richly ornamental 
half-title, on a full page, and is surrounded by a handsome border, emble- 
matic in its design and composition. Mr. Ipsen has for many years been 
recognized as the foremost leader of art-decoration for books, both inside 
and outside, and has set more fashions for imitation than any other artist. 
This book is his crowning work, and will afford an inexhaustible treasury of 
decoration for students of art, and a life-study for all lovers of beauty and 
symmetry. Mrs. Browning's sonnets are among the noblest productions 
of ancient or modern literature; and their literary excellence and incom- 
parable beauty of diction insure for them certain immortality. 

RECOLLECTIONS OF EMINENT MEN, and Other Papers. 

By Edwin Pekoy Whipple, lvol. Crown 8vo. With new steel 
portrait of the author, and preceded by the Memorial Address de- 
livered by the Kev. Dr. C. A. Bartol. $1.50 ; in half-calf, $3.00. 



22 A List of Books Published by 



A new book by Mr. Whipple is a literary event ; and so many years have 
elapsed since his last publication, that the interest will be more intense in 
the present volume, which contains some of his most charming and char- 
acteristic papers, including monographs on Sumner, Motley, Agassiz, Choate, 
and George Eliot. 

STORIES OF ART AND ARTISTS. By Clara Erskine Clem- 
ejst. 1 vol. 8vo. Profusely illustrated. In cloth, $4.00; in half 
parchment cloth, $4.50. 

This work, historical and descriptive, gives a complete resume" of the His- 
tory of Art, with accounts of the various schools, sketches, and anecdotes 
of all the great artists, with portraits and reproductions of their works. The 
author is well known as a charming writer and an acknowledged authority 
on art criticism and history. 

PERSIA AND THE PERSIANS. By Hon. S. G. W. Benjamin, late 
U. S. Minister to the Court of Persia. 1 vol. 8vo. With portrait 
and many illustrations. Beautifully bound. $5.00. Half calf, $9.00. 
The author is, perhaps, the best living authority on Persia, and this book 
embodies the results of his observation and experience during the years of 
his residence as United States Minister, combining novel and entertaining 
adventures and descriptions, with political and other observations of great 
value. His rare skill as a landscape painter has availed to give many choice 
pictures of the great Asiatic realm, with its stores of poetry and legend, its 
strange customs, and its romantic scenery and architecture. 

CONFESSIONS AND CRITICISMS. By Julian Hawthorne. 
lvol. 12mo. With portrait. $1.25. 

A series of very delightful essays and papers, with reminiscences and 
other memorable papers, prepared t>y one of the most skilful and interesting 
of American authors, and calculated to attract and keep the attention of all 
readers. It includes a great variety of valuable miscellany, and several 
papers that have already become classic among people of cultivation and 
acumen 

THE HOUSE AT HIGH BRIDGE. By EDGAR Fawcett. 1 vol. 
12mo. $1.50. 

The announcement of an entirely new novel from the pen of the writer of 
" Adventures of a Widow," etc. , is sufficient to pique the curiosity of many 
readers, who find in this author the best traits of modern literature. " The 
House at High Bridge " is an entirely new work, not having been published 
serially. 

NORA PERRY'S NEW SONGS AND BALLADS. 12mo. Gilt 
top and rough edges. $1.50. 

A new volume of poems by Nora Perry is now ready, and its publication 
will be welcomed with great interest by the thousands of admirers of this 
brilliant and piquant writer. 

AFTER THE BALL, HER LOVER'S FRIEND, AND OTHER 
POEMS. By Nora Perry. New edition. Two volumes in one. 
$1.75. 

A re-issue of the entire collected poetical works of Nora Perry, previous 
to the publication of " New Songs and Ballads." They were formerly 
published in two volumes, but are now made into one. 

RANKELL'S REMAINS. A Novel. By Barrett Wendell, author 
of " The Duchess Emilia." lvol. 12mo. $1.00. 

" Powerfully and wonderfully done as a piece of characterization. . . . 
The book has deserved its success because more than any other of its kind 
it is comprehensible, forcible, and readable." — Commercial Bulletin. 

" The telling is remarkably well done. It is full of power and the inten- 
sity of underlying tragedy," says Nora Perry, in The Independent. 
" A bitter, caustic, stinging satire, a book of power." — Chicago Times. 



Ticknor and Company. 23 



A MURAMASA BLADE. A Story of Feudalism in Old Japan. By 
Louis Wertheimbek. 1 vol. 8vo. Beautifully illustrated by Jap- 
anese artists. $3.00; in red Japanese brocade, $5.00. 

Mr. Wertheimber, of a scholarly Austrian family, •went to Japan about 
the year 1870, and speDt inany years there, in the service of the Japanese 
Government. He was an extensive traveller among the inland districts and 
villages ; and contributed many articles and series to the Japan Mail, and 
other publications. The present book is a romance of the sword, full of 
charming local color, true to life as it is in Japan, and full of deep and en- 
chaining interest. Its mechanical make-up is sumptuous in every respect. 

AGNES SURRIACE. A Novel. By Edwin Lassetter Bynner, 
author of " Danien's Ghost," " Penelope's Suitors," etc. $1.50. 

Founded upon a romantic episode in early Massachusetts history, intro- 
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characters and appearance, weaving in historical events, such as the Louis- 
burg Expedition, Church Squabbles, and the Spinning Craze, and giving a 
realistic picture of life under the royal governors, — a book which, apart 
from the thrilling interest of the story, is of permanent value as a pains- 
taking study of an historical epoch. 

SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS OF NOTED PERSONS. By Hon. 
Justin S. Morrill. $1.50. 

The well-knotfn and erudite Senator from Vermont has, in this work, 
condensed the fruits of years of curious research in a strange and unfamiliar 
field. The result is a rarely entertaining volume of great value to all 
scholars and public men, and interesting to all readers. A small edition 
was privately printed some time since, and met with such praise and appre- 
ciation that Senator Morrill has since carefully revised and materially 
augmented it for publication. 

THE MINISTER'S CHARGE. By W. D. Howells, author of "The 
Rise of Silas Lapham," " Indian Summer," etc. $1.50. 

"In this great novel of the people Henry James finds that Mr. Howells 
touches high-water mark ; r.nd sees an important and valuable work in this 
minute and subtle registering of the heavy-witted countryman's slow de- 
velopment under city conditions. However that may be, Howells's pure, 
inimitable fun is enough to carry any story he may write. Like all true 
fun, .this has a most searching pathos all the time just at hand; and never 
is the real dignity of character of this actual Yankee forgotten or trifled 
with." — Boston Transcript. 

COUNT XAVIER. By Henry Greville. 1vol. 16mo. $1.00. 

This is the latest and one of the best of the novels of the author of 
" Dosia," the most popular and famous of Parisian novelists. 

LIBER AMORIS. By Henry Bernard Carpenter. 1vol. 16mo. 
Gilt top and rough edges. $1.75. 

A brilliant and picturesque romance in verse, dealing with the period of 
the Minnesingers, in the Rheinland, Padua, and Auvergne. Mr. Carpenter 
has long been known as one of our most spirited and vigorous poets. 

MARY MACDALENE, AND OTHER POEMS. By Mrs. Richard 
Grkexough. With photograph of Greenough's statue of the 
Magdalen on the side of the cover. 50 cents. 



24 A List of Books Published by Tichnor fy Co. 



THE 

MEMORIAL HISTORY OF BOSTON, 

In Four "Volumes. Quarto. 

With more than 500 Illustrations by famous artists and engravers, all 
made for this work. 

Edited by JUSTIN WINSOR, Librarian of Harvard University. 

Among the contributors are : — 

Gov. John D. Long, Dr. 0. W. Holmes, 

Hon. Charles Francis Adams, John G. Whittier, 

Rev. Phillips Brooks, D D., Rev. J. P. Clarke, D.D., 

Rev. E. E. Hale, D.D., Rev. A. P. Peabody, D.D., 

Hon. Robert C. Winthrop, Col. T. W. Higginson, 

Hon. J. IIammond Trumbull, Professor Asa Gray, 

Admiral G. H. Preble, Gen. F. W. Palfrey, 
Henry Cabot Lodge. 



Volume I. treats of the Geology, Fauna, and Flora ; the Voyages and Maps of 
the Northmen, Italians, Captain John Smith, and the Plymouth Settlers ; 
the Massachusetts Company, Puritanism, and the Aborigines ; the Lit- 
erature, Life, and Chief Families of the Colonial Period. 

Vol. II. treats of the Royal Governors ; French and Indian Wars ; Witches 
and Pirates; The Religion, Literature, Customs, and Chief Families of the 
Provincial Period. 

Vol. III. treats of the Revolutionary Period and the Conflict around Boston ; 
and the Statesmen, Sailors, and Soldiers, the Topography, Literature, and 
Life of Boston during that time ; and also of the Last Hundred Years' 
History, the War of 1812, Abolitionism, and the Press. 

Vol. IV. treats of the Social Life, Topography, and Landmarks, Industries, 
Commerce, Railroads, and Financial History of this Century in Boston ; 
■with Monographic Chapters on Boston's Libraries, Women, Science, Art, 
Music, Philosophy, Architecture, Charities, etc. 



*** Sold by subscription only. Send for a Prospectus to the 
Publishers, 

TICKNOR AND COMPANY, Boston. 



A List of Books Published by 



THE STUDENTS' SERIES OF 

STANDARD POETRY. 

EDITED BY W. J. ROLFE, A.M. 

Uggp" All these books are equally suited to the use of the student, and that of 
the general reader. They snould have a place in every library, public or private. 
Price 75 cents each. 

6 

I. SCOTT'S LADY OF THE LAKE. 

The text is correctly printed for the first time in fifty years. The notes 
(88 pp.) include Scott's and Lockhart's, and are fuller than in any other 
editiou, English or American. The illustrations are mainly of the scenery 
of the poem, from sketches made on the spot. 

II. TENNYSON'S THE PRINCESS. 

The notes (50 pp.) give the history of the poem, all the readings of the 
earlier editions, selected comments by the best English and American 
critics, full explanations of all allusions, &c. The illustrations are from 
the elegant Holiday edition. 

III. SELECT POEMS OF TENNYSON. 

Including the Lady of Shalott, the Miller's Daughter, (Enone, the Lotos- 
Eaters, The Palace of Art, A Dream of Fair Women, Morte d'Arthur, The 
Talking Oak, Ulysses, Locksley Hall, The Two Voices, St. Agnes' Eve, Sir 
Galahad, The Brook, &c. The text is from the latest English edition (1884). 
The notes (50 pp.) include a careful collation of the earlier editions, with 
explanatory and critical comments. The illustrations are of high char- 
acter. 

IV. SCOTT'S MARMION. 

With copious Notes and introductory matter. The text is now correctly 
printed for the first time. 

V. YOUNG PEOPLE'S TENNYSON. 

Containing a great number of the works of the Poet Laureate most adapted 
to young readers, with interesting commentaries and cuts. 

VI. BYRON'S CHILDE HAROLD. 

A new aud carefully annotated edition of this great poem, with many fine 
illustrations from, the Holiday edition. 

VII. SCOTT'S THE LAY OF THE LAST MINSTREL. 

Beautifully illustrated and copiously annotated, with the most lovely scenes 
along the Scottish border. 

VIII. TENNYSON'S ENOCH ARDEN. (In Press.) 



THE CHOICEST EDITIONS 



SIX GREAT MODERN POFMS. 

Drawn and engraved under the care of A. V. S. Anthony. Each in 
one volume, 8vo, elegantly bound, with full gilt ed^es, in a neat box. 
Each poem, in cloth, $6.00; in tree calf, or antique morocco, $10.00; 
in crushed levant, extra, with silk linings, $25.00. Copiously illustrated 
after drawings by Thomas Moran, E. H. Garrett, Harry Fenn, A. B. 
Frost, and other distinguished artists. 

THE LAY OF THE LAST MINSTREL. 

. Crowded with beautiful illustrations, and richly and sumptuously 
bound. 
" Illustrations wonderfully lustrous and effective." — Capital. 

CHILDE HAROLD. 

"With more than 100 noble Illustrations, of great artistic value and 
beauty, representing the splendid scenery and architecture of the Rhine, 
Greece, Italy, etc. 

THE PRINCESS. 

The most famous poem of Alfred, Lokd Tennyson. With 120 
new and beautiful Illustrations. 

" The most superb book of the season. The exquisite binding makes a fit 
casket for Tennyson's enchanting ' I'rincess.' " — Hartford Journal. 

THE LADY OF THE LAKE. 

A superb fine-art edition, with 120 Illustrations. The choicest edition 
of Scott's wonderful poem of Scottish chivalry. 

" On page after page are seen the great dome of Ben-an rising in mid-air, huge 
Ben-venue throwing his shadowed masses upon the lakes, and the long heights of 
Ben Lomond hemming the horizon." —Atlantic Monthly. 

LUCILE. 

By Owen Meredith. With 160 Illustrations. • 
The high peaks of the Pyrenees, the golden valleys of the Rhinelant. 
and the battle-swept heights of the Crimea. 

" This new edition is simply perfect — paper, type, printing, and especially V . 
illustrations, — a most charming Christmas gift." — American Liten»ry 
Churchman. 

MARMION. 
"With more than 100 Illustrations, and Borders. 
" Wild Scottish beauty. Never had a poem of stately and immortal beauty a 
more fitting setting." — Chicago Inter-Ocean. 



For* Sale by Booksellers. Sent, postpaid, on receipt of price, by the 
Publishers, 

TICKNOR AND COMPANY, Boston. 



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